I Would Not Kiss Him
by estie793
Summary: Estella's jaw dropped in horror. "I would never kiss him!" I own nothing.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Estella!" Fredegar called through the house. "Stella, where are you?"

Estella came out of her bedroom and crossed her arms. "I'm right here, Fatty. What's your trouble?"

He smirked. "Meriadoc Brandybuck is coming over for dinner tonight," he said slyly.

Estella felt her heart flutter a bit, but on the outside, she appeared cool and collected as ever. "And what does that have to do with me? He's your friend, not mine."

"But you like him," Fred reminded.

"I do not!" she exclaimed.

Fatty smiled. "Yes, you do. I heard you talking to Rosie Cotton about it. You said you think he's cute."

Estella blushed, but continued to deny. "I did not!"

"Liar, liar, liar!" Fatty cried.

Estella rolled her eyes. "Yes, Fatty, that is incredibly mature."

"Don't worry, Stella. Maybe if you're real nice to him, he'll give you a kiss before he leaves."

Estella's jaw dropped in horror. "I would never kiss him!"


	2. Here

**Chapter One: Here**

Merry assumed a casual air as he walked, having seen Estella sitting on the bench outside the Green Dragon. Merry liked Estella more than a little (despite the fact that her bossy nature, sarcastic comments, and know it all ways annoyed him to no end), and he suspected she liked him back, but she was a proud little lass, and would probably never admit it. Besides, he was heir to Brandy Hall, and she was a nobody of sorts. She was not exeptionally good looking, or one to be noted for anything, except of course, her cooking. That did not stop him from hoping his affections would be returned someday.

"Hello, Estella, and what are you doing this fine day?" he asked.

She looked up from her book. "Reading. And I was enjoying it too."

"Don't let me interrupt," he said, but he sat down on the bench beside her.

She glanced at him sideways. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here beside you."

"Move," she commanded.

Merry's eyebrows raised a bit. "Why? And you don't' have to be so testy."

Estella placed her book down and looked him in the eye. "Merry, you know as well as I do that this bench is the place where drunken couples come to sit and kiss. I would prefer that we not be seen together here."

Merry shrugged. "Well, we're not drunk, and we're not a couple. So it don't matter much. But, folk could still see us kissing."

"I would never kiss you, much less here."

Merry was not put out. He didn't move either. She picked her book back up and continued reading. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, the way her tiny hands held the book up, and the way her eyes darted across the page with interest. "What are you reading?"

Estella sighed, annoyed that he had interrupted her, once again. "This, Meriadoc Brandybuck, is a tale of two men who are looking for a lost city. The city they are looking for is rumored to have streets made of gold. The group started out with five men, but the two that are left plotted against the other three, and killed them three weeks into the journey so they could keep all the riches for themselves. Now, the more devious of the two men is plotting how to kill his friend, but what he doesn't know is that his friend already has a plan to kill him. It's terribly exciting!"

"Doesn't sound like something a lass should be reading," he remarked.

"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't read?"

He held up his hands. "Sorry! I was just saying that most lasses read tales about romance and love. Why, just the other day, old Sam was telling me about how Rosie had bored him to death telling him about the storyline of a romance that she had just read."

"Well, I do _sometimes_ read those kinds of stories, but I like ones about adventure, mystery, and treachery much better."

"Interesting," he said, mostly to himself. "So, you don't like _starry-eyed-mush-head books,_ as Pippin used to call them?"

"Well, like I said, I will read a romance once in a while. If it's well written."

"As in a book that has kissing in it?"

"Yes… I suppose."

Estella was not aware that her book had fallen to the ground, and that an unknown force was pulling her face towards Merry's. Before she could realize it, he kissed her. She pulled away and raised her hand to slap him, but he was already up and away.

"Merry Brandybuck!" she screamed. "You'll pay for that!" she stood and screamed at the top of her lungs, enraged that he had actually kissed her while they were sitting on the "kissing bench."

"I hate you!" she yelled after him, not sure if he could hear her, or if he could, if he would listen. "I told you I would never kiss you here!"

But, it was too late. What had been done had been done, and there was nothing that Estella Bolger could do about it.


	3. There

**Chapter Two: There**

Estella stood a little ways away from the dance floor, watching the couples spin by. She was waiting for a lad to ask her to dance, but so far, no one had.

"It's because I am not pretty," she whispered to herself. She had always been self-conscious about her looks. She knew that she was not the most beautiful lass in the Shire, but she also knew that she was not un-attractive either. Or so she had thought. Holman Chubb had said something to her when she and her brother first arrived at the dance that had shattered her hopes for the evening.

"Why did you even come, Estella? You're not going to have anyone to dance with you know."

"Well, why not?" Estella asked, slightly miffed. She sensed Fredegar coming up behind her to defend her if need be.

"Look at yourself!" Holman exclaimed. "You're too skinny, and you're barely any taller than a little teen. You've got freckles, and your hair is plain…"

"That'll be enough out of you, Chubb!" Fredegar cried, squeezing his little sister's shoulder to let her know he was there for her. "No one talks about my sister that way."

Holman held up his hands in surrender. "No need to get all riled up, Fatty." He walked away without an apology.

Estella had kept her composure, but Holman's words had hurt her.

"Don't listen to him, Stella," Fredegar whispered to her. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. You look beautiful tonight."

But she didn't feel beautiful, and when the party reached the halfway point and still no one had asked her to dance, she wanted to cry.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, thinking she was going to finally get her dance. When she turned and saw the face of Merry Brandybuck, her hopes fell.

"Oh, what do you want?" she asked, feeling more annoyed and depressed than ever.

"Hello, Stella," he softly, almost uncertainly, Estella thought. "Uh, I'd like to dance with you, if you want."

She looked at him skeptically. "Me? You want to dance with me? The skinny, short, freckle-faced, plain haired girl?"

Merry seemed a bit surprised with her response. "Uh, this is a no teens allowed party."

She sighed. "I think we both know I was talking about myself."

Merry shrugged and took her hand, leading her out onto the floor. "Well, you are short, that is something that I can't deny, but you're not too skinny, you're just… very lithe. You're lucky too. Most lasses wish they were as light as you." They began to dance, and he set his hand on her waist, noticing just how thin she was. He could probably use only his hands and reach completely around her waist. He wanted to try, but thought better of it, and continued to talk about her looks. "And don't get me started on your freckles. If you didn't have them, you wouldn't be you. If you didn't have them, that would make you one of those silly lasses who stays inside sewing and cooking all day. And your hair looks very nice, all done up like that," he finished. Then he added, "I think you look very pretty tonight."

Estella smiled. She couldn't help it. Yes, Merry irked her to no end most times, but hearing him say she looked pretty made her nearly giddy with pleasure. They danced together for many a song, much to the annoyance of many of the other lasses that were trying to get the future Master's attention. Estella caught some of their envious glances, and thought that perhaps dancing with Merry wasn't so bad.

Merry thought she was a lovely partner, and it kept all the other lasses from swarming around him. Pippin had always called him insane for not enjoying it. And in fact, when the same thing happened to Pippin, he took great advantage of it. That is, until he met one lass who caught his eye. She wasn't falling all over him, at least, not outwardly, and her shy nature kept her from talking to him herself, so it took him a while to notice her.

Now though, he was married, very happily mind you, to Diamond of Long Cleave. Merry had watched them together. Kisses and "I love you," passed so easily between them. He wished he could have a love like that someday. But… he had yet to find the right lass. He glanced down at Estella.

_'Could she be the one?' _he wondered. _'No. She annoys me, and I annoy her. There's no way it could ever work out between us.' _Though, dancing with her, he wondered if that were true. Yes, she had screamed at him last time he had kissed her, and really seemed quite angry, but he had enjoyed it. He wondered if she would scream if he did it again. He wanted to find out, so he led her away from the dance floor. When she realized he was taking her behind the tents that were set up, she set all her weight back, trying to resist him.

"No, Merry, not back there!" She suddenly felt very small. There was no way she could have pulled free of his strong grasp, and it scared her.

"Oh, come on, Estella! What's wrong with being away from all the people? Besides, I think I may want to kiss you."

She looked at him, horrified. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, if you kiss me again, I'll…"

"You'll what?" he asked, not unkindly, or in a way that would scare her, just an amused way.

She was lost for words. "Well… I… I just don't want you to kiss me back there."

"Fine, I won't," he said nonchalantly, much to her relief. But he quickly added, "But you never said I couldn't kiss you here." And before Estella could do anything about it, he bent down and covered her lips with his. It was longer than the last time, which gave Estella time to slap him, and she did, though not hard at all.

"You did say, 'not there,'" Merry reminded, letting his hands fall to her waist. He couldn't quite reach all the way around, but she was the tiniest lass he had ever held. He bent down once again to kiss her, and this time, she didn't try to stop him. She didn't hit him, she didn't scream, she didn't do anything. The third time, she kissed him back, bringing her hand to his cheek. Once she realized what she was doing though, she drew away.

"Merry! You kissed me again!" she cried.

"But you didn't scream at me this time!" he cried happily, as if she was a faunt who had just made a great improvement in adding and subtracting her sums. "You kissed me back!"

"And I regret it!" she stormed off, but Merry was smiling.

He thought about how lucky he was to be the first lad to kiss her. Of course, he would never tell her that he knew this, but it was quite easy to tell, really. Just the very thought of her lips made his own lips tingle. He made up his mind right then and there that he was going to court her. Oh dear, but then there was an itsy bitsy problem. She would never let him court her. Oh well, he would worry about making her fall for him later. He had kissed her! Again!

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**A/N: Review, please! I really need to know what people think so I can know if I should continue to write this or not. It's my first ever fanfic, and I really want to know if it's any good or not.**


	4. With a Fox

**A/N: I apologize for the long delay in updating. I regret to announce that chapter four may be long in coming as well, but I will try my very hardest to have it up as soon as possible. And thank you for the reviews!!!**

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Chapter Three: With a Fox

Pippin was talking, but Merry could no longer hear him. His mind was elsewhere now. It was a few dozen yards away with that lass sitting in the Bolger's front yard. He wasn't sure what she was doing. She had a very small bundle in her arms, and there was a pan of milk beside her, and she kept dipping a cloth into it and letting whatever was in the bundle suckle on the cloth. She looked like a new mother with the way she was smiling, but Merry knew that whatever was in the bundle was too small to be a baby.

"Merry!" Pippin called. Getting no response, he whacked his older cousin on the head.

"Ow! Pippin, what was that for?"

Pippin laughed, following Merry's gaze. "Estella Bolger? You are walking on air because of Estella Bolger?"

"And what is wrong with that?"

Pippin shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with it. She just hates you, that's all."

Merry looked from his cousin to Estella, and back again. "She doesn't hate me. She just… um… is annoyed by me sometimes."

Pippin snickered.

"It could work." Merry defended his fantasies.

"Oh yes, I'm sure it could," Pippin said sarcastically.

"You know what? Change of plans. I'll meet you at Crickhollow later."

Pippin walked away, laughing. "Whatever you say, Merry."

Merry rolled his eyes, hoping he hadn't acted that way when Pippin was courting Diamond. He wasn't going to let it stop him from talking to Estella though. He hopped over the fence and walked up to her.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the bundle.

She looked up and shushed him, but she was smiling. "Quiet, you'll scare him! And I just got him calmed down enough to eat, didn't I baby boy? Yes, I did," she crooned.

Merry came and sat beside her. He peered inside the bundle that was much too small to contain a hobbit baby, and saw the little face of a fox kit. "Where'd you find him?" Merry asked.

"Da killed his mother this morning because she was in our chicken coop. Fatty heard him crying and I found him by the fence post. Da was going to kill him too, but I convinced him to let me keep him and raise him, like a kitten. He said yes, as long as I let him go when he gets old enough. He's heard that when foxes get around a year old, they get wild. So, I'll keep him until he's old enough to let go. But maybe my Da is wrong, and he won't ever get wild." She smiled at the thought, and stroked the kit's head.

"Does he have a name?" Merry wanted to know.

"Trouble," she answered. "Because I saved him from a lot of trouble. Do you want to hold him, Merry?"

"Sure," Merry said, holding out his hands. Estella carefully unwrapped the baby fox from the blanket and gently placed him in the hobbit's waiting hands. Merry smiled. The kit was still blind and helpless and tiny. His orange fur was softer than a kitten's, and his tiny paws sported thin claws that did not do Trouble much good, sharp though they were. He squeaked in a pathetic manner, wondering who this new person was that held him. "He's… cute," Merry told Estella, for lack of a better word.

"Yes, and he still needs to be fed, so if you would kindly…" she stopped short, hearing a metal clanging and feeling a wet substance touch her leg. She quickly moved away, almost jumping into Merry's lap being startled by the noise and wetness. She shoved the lad away, then looked to her left. "Fatty!" she exclaimed, seeing the criminal. He had accidentally knocked over the tin pan full of milk in coming out to talk to Merry. Estella sighed. "Get some more before Trouble starves to death, please," she commanded. Freddy rolled his eyes.

"Fine." He picked up the now empty pan I don't know why Da even let you keep him. He's just going to be what you named him, a whole lot of trouble."

Merry looked hard at Estella once Fred had gone.

"What?" she asked, sensing his eyes on her.

"If you care this much about a fox kit, you're going to be the most wonderful mother some day," he answered.

She smiled a bit. "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a moment or two, petting Trouble's soft little head and rubbing his tiny ears. Merry broke the silence.

"Do you hate me?"

She raised her eyebrows, surprised at the question. "Yes. Most of the time."

"Why?"

"Apart from the fact that you are selfish, stuck-up, obnoxious, proud, and like to brag on yourself? You still have not apologized."

"Apologized? What have I done to you that I need to apologize for?"

She glared, taking Trouble back from him. "Oh, I think you know."

Merry shook his head in confusion.

"You do too!"

"No, I really don't," he told her.

"You don't remember what you did?"

"No! I honestly don't remember!"

"You did this," she said, then leaned forward and kissed him. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer, kissing her back. He heard her sigh, obviously forgetting about Trouble, and the fact that she supposedly hated Merry Brandybuck, the lad she now held close while she kissed him.

Estella regained her wits and shoved Merry away hard.

"Sorry," he said, smiling cheekily.

She growled and picked up her baby fox, cuddling him close. She wondered what on Middle Earth had possessed her to kiss him. It was one thing for him to kiss her, but when she was the one who kissed him… What was happening? Merry Brandybuck was her brother's show-off friend whom she had always detested.

"But I think you were lying when you said you hated me."

"Merry, no words can describe the complete and utter hatred I have for you."

He smirked. "Well, that is the third time we have kissed in the past two months. I'll admit, I am beginning to like you quite a bit."

She looked surprised for a minute, then her scowl returned. "Yes, I'm sure."

Merry looked up and saw Fred coming back with the pan of milk. "Now… um… I believe I'll leave before Freddy gets back. I'd rather not be here when you tell him I kissed you again." And with that, Merry was up and away, heading for the shelter of Crickhollow. He knew he was just as safe with Estella though. She would rather die then tell her brother she had kissed Meriadoc Brandybuck.

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**A/N: Please review! Oh, and I feel like my sentence patterns are very repetitive. If they are, could you please let me know?**


	5. In a Box

**A/N: ****I'm sorry for the long delay in updating yet again. Chapter Five should not be so difficult to write. I just had a really hard time coming up with a way to do "In a Box." Thank you to those who reviewed! Especially echobaby and Nim.**

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**Chapter Four: In a Box**

Estella had become annoyed with her new pet. He had run away from her, and she was having trouble catching him. Though he was still a baby, he was quick, and he could fit into places that she couldn't, therefore making catching him a rather difficult and tiring task.

"Trouble, come on!" she called. "Come on, Mama doesn't want to chase you anymore."

The fox paid her no heed, and continued the game of chase. He dashed out of the open barn, and Estella followed, rather exasperated by now.

"Trouble, come off it!"

The fox kit bounded ahead of her, fluffy tail trailing behind his little body. He was heading towards the Bracegirdle's property.

"Oh, bad," Estella mumbled. She picked up her skirts and flew after him. "Oh, bad, bad, bad! If he scares their chickens they're going to kill me!" She ran even faster, trying to catch up to the little ball of orange fur, but it was in vain. He quickened his pace as well, and before she knew it, she was in the middle of the Bracegirdle's yard.

"Oh bad, oh, bad, oh, bad, bad, bad!" she kept saying. She looked frantically for any hint of over sized ears and a fluffy tail, but Trouble had disappeared. Where had he gone? She gasped for breath, hoping the owners of the house were out. There didn't seem to be much activity. She felt a bit more at ease and looked around a bit. The yard was empty. That was good. If they were here, they weren't aware of her presence yet.

A loud squawking of prized chickens came from inside the barn.

"Oh bad!" Estella exclaimed, running towards the barn. Yes, there was Trouble, looking quite proud of himself, and holding a very frightened chicken by the neck. Estella was relieved to see that he hadn't killed the bird. She smacked his head and he let go. She scooped him up into her arms and scolded him.

"Hey! Who's out there?" Mr. Bracegirdle yelled.

Estella's eyes widened in fear. She looked around the barn for a good place to hide. Shelter came in the form of a large, overturned crate. She dashed over, lifted the bottom, shoved Trouble under, then crawled under herself. She almost screamed when she realized someone else was under the crate as well. She covered her mouth just in time.

"Estella? What are you doing here?"

She recognized the voice, even though the owner was whispering. "Merry? What are you doing here?"

"_I'm _hiding from Peony Bracegirdle. What are_ you_ doing?"

"Hiding from her father. Now shut your trap or we'll get caught!"

The two hobbits sat under the box, too close together for Estella's comfort. Mr. Bracegirdle was doing a search of his barn, very upset that one of his chickens had been attacked.

"Why are you hiding from Peony? She's not so bad," Estella whispered in a barely audible tone as their peril was still very great.

"She's not so bad if you're not me. We courted for a bit last spring, and she obviously hasn't seen that it's over."

"Ah, desperate kind of lass. Not that I would know, but I have a feeling it would be irritating."

"It is. She's always..."

"Shush! He's coming over here!"

They remained silent for a moment until he passed by, fortunately not looking under the wooden crate. When he had passed, Merry continued.

"She's always batting her eyelashes and giggling like an idiot around me." He paused, thinking about how he could work this situation to his advantage. "You don't do that," he whispered slowly.

She said nothing, only listened intently, trying to see if Mr. Bracegirdle was still in the barn. She heard nothing but the occasional animal noise. "I think he's gone," she said, risking a tone above a whisper.

"Well, let's wait just a bit longer. He could still be here," Merry said. He grabbed her hands when she tried to lift the crate.

"Merry!" she hissed. "Let me go!"

"You have to tell me why you're under here first."

"Because, Trouble tried o kill one of their chickens, and I'd rather not get punished for something my pet did. Let me go," she commanded. "_Now."_

"No, I don't think I will. It's not everyday I get to be this close to beautiful lass who isn't flirting with me. I think… I think I like that."

Estella could feel her irritability melting away. She tired her best to stay annoyed with him. These new emotions were confusing to her, especially since he had never been anything but obnoxious to her before he had come back from his Journey.

"I am not beautiful," she told him.

"You are," he insisted. "Trust me, you are."

She swallowed hard. "But… the other lasses are always telling me that…"

"Oh, hush. Don't listen to them. They only tell you those things because they're jealous. Besides, I wouldn't think someone like you would be so self conscious!"

She took a shaky breath. It wasn't like her to get so emotional. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. She would not cry. She had never cried in front of anyone except her brother. She would not cry!

A tear disobeyed her will and slipped down her cheek, landing on her lap. "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Yes."

'_He's lying. He doesn't think I'm beautiful, but I really don't care,'_ she thought. _'I really don't care.'_ She took a deep breath to try and steady her frantically pounding heart.

"May I kiss you?" Merry asked.

"Yes," she answered.

He smiled and kissed her gently. She kissed him back. He put his hand on her neck and deepened the kiss. Despite the fact that they were in a box, Merry didn't think that moment could have been any more perfect.

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**A/N: Review please!**


	6. In a Tree

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. My computer crashed and I lost all my data. Besides, I had to re-think the whole rest of the story, and I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing after this. Thanks so much for the reviews!**

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**Chapter Five: In a Tree**

Merry walked casually through the apple orchard. The late afternoon September sun shone through the branches, making the place look magical. He sighed heavily as his thoughts returned to her again. He had been thinking about her constantly the past few weeks.

'_It's illogical, and it isn't right. Nobody falls in love this quickly,'_ he thought. But he did love her, and he knew it too. The only problem was she didn't love him. And if she did, she didn't let on. He had told her that he had feelings for her when they had kissed him the day she found Trouble, but she hadn't given him a very positive reaction. She had willingly kissed him when they had been stuck in the Bracegirdle's barn, but he guessed that she had only done so because he had complimented her. He had seen her at least once a week since that incident, but besides the fact that she didn't seem to hate him any more she did not act any differently towards him. She was still irritable and snippy. There were some days when he would catch her in a good mood, but those days were rare.

Suddenly, his train of thought was interrupted. He saw a rope on the ground, and a foot hanging out of an apple tree. He looked up to see who it was, and found the lass his thoughts had been revolving around, Estella Bolger.

"Hello, Merry!" she waved to him, and in the process dropped one of the apples she had been holding. It hit him squarely on the head.

"Ouch!"

She laughed. "Sorry! I promise I didn't mean to do that."

He looked up at her skeptically. "Really?" He could already tell that she was in a good mood.

She bit her lip, looking like she had done something naughty. "Alright. I did it accidentally on purpose."

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Sure. I have to go home soon, but the apples get better the higher you climb."

Merry clambered up the tree, and finally noticed that she was not in her typical apparel. She was wearing a shirt and trousers. She actually looked quite funny, as the clothes had obviously been stolen from Freddy's closet, and did not fit her very well at all. She looked like she was drowning in the shirt, and the belt she had on was pulled as tightly as it could go to keep the trousers on her tiny waist. He sat across from her on the very same branch she was on. She threw him an apple, and he caught it.

"Where's Trouble?" he asked, taking a bite of the ripened fruit.

"Oh… around," she said, mouth full of apple. "I'll call him when I'm ready to go home."

"He's full grown now, isn't he?"

She nodded, and wiped away the apple juice that was dripping off her chin. "Well, yes, he won't get any bigger, but he's only six months old."

"So you have six more months until you have to get rid of him," Merry stated.

Estella sadly shook her head. "Probably even less time. He's started snarling at everyone except me. Mama is scared of him, and he's not allowed inside unless it's to go to sleep in my room."

"He knows me fairly well, and he knows I like him. Would he do that to me?"

"I don't know. He hasn't been around you for two weeks. He might."

Merry saw sadness in her eyes. "You don't want to let him go, do you?"

"He's like my baby. I raised him. Da says he'll turn wild within the month, but Trouble wouldn't attack me. He just wouldn't."

"I'm sure he wouldn't."

Estella's mood changed. She smiled again, and threw her apple core to the ground. "Well, enough of this. I have eaten too much already, and I have yet to do my afternoon chores. I suppose I'll see you some other time, Merry, but it was nice talking to you."

Before she could move, Merry kissed her. He thought she tasted nice anyways, but now, she tasted of apples as well. He sighed, knowing he would have to pull away. When he did, she was looking at him in an irritated and questioning manner.

"What is this strange obsession you have with kissing me? Do you do it to all the lasses you're friends with?"

He smiled cheekily. "No, it's only you."

"Why do you do it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know," he lied. _'It's because I love you. Can't you see that?" _he thought as she rolled her eyes and began her decent. He was going to follow, but she told him to stay. She picked up the rope that was on the ground next to the tree and called,

"Trouble! Trouble!" she waited a moment, then whistled. The fox came running. She smiled and scratched behind his ears, then slipped the rope over his head. It was a good thing she did too, because immediately after, Trouble caught sight of Merry up in the tree. The fur on his back stood up, and he bared his teeth. He snarled and tugged at the rope.

"Alright," Merry said. "He doesn't like me anymore."

Estella looked up at him apologetically. "Sorry, Merry. I have to get home. See you around?"

"Sure." He waved as she walked off, yanking on the rope to keep Trouble following her. Merry was quite glad he had heeded Estella and stayed aloft. That fox had no fear of hobbits, which, Merry thought, could prove to be very troublesome when Estella had to let him go. He watched her walk away, wanting to follow her.

'_Estella. Stella. Estella Bolger… no… Estella… Brandybuck. Yes, that sounds right. I love her so much it's crazy.' _He thought about the kiss he had just stolen from her, and it made him smile. Every time he kissed her, he felt the oddest sensation. He could not describe it, but he imagined that it felt something like lightning. Still, those kisses did not mean much of anything unless she returned his love. As far as he knew, his feelings were not returned. All he could do was hope.

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**A/N: Alright, does anybody have any ideas for something that ryhmes with 'rain' that would work for this? I can't think of anything. **


	7. On the Road to Bree

**A/N: Yikes! Super short! Please review it anyways!**

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**Chapter Six: On the Road to Bree**

Estella tried to tell herself she didn't care. What was it to her if he left for a month? Perhaps it wasn't that he was leaving for a while, perhaps it was the fact that he hadn't said goodbye to her.

"Why do I care?" she wondered out loud. "I hate him!" But she knew it wasn't true. She didn't hate him anymore. She was beginning to wonder if she ever had. And telling herself that she didn't care was futile. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have that unpleasant feeling in her stomach. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have been running down the road, looking for him. "A whole month? He's going to Bree for a whole month?" she asked herself. That was what her brother had said. Merry would be gone for a month. She didn't know what he would be doing there, she just knew he had left without saying goodbye, and for some reason, that hurt her.

She was getting tired. Perhaps running all the way had not been the best idea. She hadn't run this far in a long time, and there was a horrid cramp in her side. She stopped, frustration welling up inside her. She kicked a pebble on the road, sending it skittering into the grass. She gasped for breath, then went to sit on the side of the road. She would not move until her breathing returned to normal. During this time, Merry rode by on his pony. When he saw her, he stopped, dismounted, and came and sat by her. They sat in silence a moment until Estella turned to him and punched his shoulder. Hard.

"Ow!"

"You!"

"What?"  
"You left without saying goodbye!"  
He laughed, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Actually, I was just at your house to say goodbye to you. Fred told me you left a while ago, and he didn't know where you'd gone off too, so I was out looking for you."

She was slightly embarrassed now. "Oh."

"Estella, do you have any idea where you are?"

She looked around. She didn't know where she was. "I must have run farther than I thought."

"Only half way to Bree."

"Really?" she questioned, laughing at herself.

"No, not really, but you are quite a long ways from your home."

"Well, it's only because I was looking for you. Merry, are you really leaving for a month?"

He looked away, a bemused smile on his face. "Yes, I'll be gone a month, but I'm only going for Pippin."

She pulled up some grass and threw it in his hair. "Why?"

Merry mock glared and brushed the grass out of his hair, then threw some at her. "His anniversary is in two weeks. He had some of our friends make some special necklace for Diamond, and if he went to get it, she would know that she was getting something from outside the Shire, meaning she would snoop, meaning she would find it before Pip wanted her to, that's all. So there's no need to get all upset about my leaving."

"I wasn't upset!" she cried, throwing more grass at him.

He returned the grass throwing. "You were too, you little liar."

She said nothing, only pulled up another handful of grass and threw it at his face.

"You're a pretty little liar though, so I'll forgive you." He was pleased when he saw her smile. "I'll miss you while I'm gone."

After what Merry took to be a quick internal struggle, she muttered, "I'll miss you too."

Feeling brave, he put an arm around her. "And how did those words taste coming out of your mouth?" he wondered.

"Like vinegar," she readily admitted, but she snuggled up to him.

"Will I at least get a goodbye kiss?"

"Do I have a choice?" Estella teased.

He chuckled and tilted her head up. "No, you don't." He kissed her softly, and quickly, albeit reluctantly, broke off. "I'll come see you as soon as I get back," he promised.

She moved away from him and stood up. "Well, then, get out of here! The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll get back."

"Can you get home on your own?"

"Merry, even if I don't know where I am, it doesn't mean I'm lost. I've just never been this far from home before. You don't need to see me home. If I remember correctly, this road will take me all the way back home."

He shook his head. "You're stubborn."

"I know."

"Goodbye, Estella."

"Goodbye, Merry."


	8. In the Rain

**A/N: I know, I know, I'm a terrible updater, and I do apologize. There's been a lot going on lately... anyways, I don't normally do this, but I feel that I must mention Willow-Heidi-Erickson. Your prayers are appreciated, and my family and I thank you very much. **

**Chapter Seven: In the Rain**

Merry looked out the window. It had been raining all day, nay, pouring, though the sky had shown no sign of lightning, and Merry had heard no rumble of thunder. He loved the rain. It calmed him down, and helped him forget his worries, even on a cold autumn afternoon like this one. He watched the drops of water run races down the window. His breath fogged up his view to the outside world. He turned around. His father was dozing by the fire.

Saradoc had been ill lately, and deep in his heart, Merry knew his father was going to die soon. It pained him, but he could do nothing to stop it.

"I'll be back later, Da," he whispered

After setting out a new set of clothes on his bed so he could change once he returned home, he sneaked out the front door. He breathed in the fresh air, filling his lungs with something other than the smell of tea and smoldering fires in hearths that had not been attended to. He began to wander a bit, trying to decide where to go. He thought it would be nice to walk down towards the little grove of thick forest to the north. He was soon soaking wet, and loving it. He felt like a little teen when he purposely hopped into a puddle, just to get mud all over his legs. He laughed joyously, though he was beginning to get quite cold.

He looked around at the few remaining leaves on the trees, and started back home, but something moved and caught his attention. He looked behind him. He knew that form well by now, even if she did have a cloak over her body. It was Estella.

"Now why in Middle Earth is she out here?" he wondered aloud. "Hey! Estella!" he called. She turned towards him when he called, and he began running towards her. When he reached her, she looked sad. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying, but with all the rain water on her face, he couldn't tell. Water was not all that was on her face though. There were three cuts from her temple to her cheek, and he quickly noticed that her hand was bandaged as well. "Oh… Stella, what happened?"

She sniffled and used her un-bandaged hand to wipe away what had to be tears. "Merry, he's gone."

"Who's gone? What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Trouble," she answered, then sobbed.

"Trouble? But… I saw you with him just last week!"

She sobbed again. "I know. Da said he would go wild. I didn't want to believe him, but it was true."

Merry took hold of her shoulders. "Stella, dear, what happened?" He winced. He had just called her dear. That was not normal. Thankfully, in her sadness, she either didn't notice, or chose to ignore it.

She sniffed again. "Yesterday morning, he woke me by scratching on the door. I let him outside, then went back in to get his food. I put it in his dish, and then went outside to feed him. He was sneaking around the chicken coop, so I called him over and decided I'd better keep and eye on him while he ate. He finished the food, and I was going to take the dish to get him some water, but when I reached down, he snarled and bit my hand. Then he scratched my face. I screamed, and Da came out with Freddy. They… they killed him, Merry. They killed Trouble."

"This," he fingered the cuts on her face. "Is why they did. He hurt you."

"You couldn't possibly understand."

He nodded. "You're right. I don't understand how you're feeling, but you knew when you decided to keep him that you were going to have to let him go someday."

"Yes, but I didn't think he'd be killed!" she retorted angrily.

He put a finger to her lips in order to keep her quiet. "Stella, listen to me. Did you really think he was just going to go back into the woods once you weren't allowed to keep him anymore? After being fed everyday, why would he want to hunt for his food? Why should he have to search for shelter when he had slept in a warm bed all his life? He had no fear of hobbits. A normal fox would not have attacked a hobbit. A normal fox would have run off."

She spoke softly. "So what you're saying is, I was really only hurting him by keeping him as a pet."

"Well, no. You did save his life."

"But I still ruined it for him." She sobbed again and hugged Merry. He was surprised, but he hugged her back. She needed comfort right now. She had told him when they were in the apple tree that Trouble had been like her baby that she had raised. It must have been hard for her to see her brother and father kill him. Thinking about this, he put her back a bit from himself and gently kissed each of the scars on her cheek.

"Kisses heal," he told her, before bringing his lips down on hers.

She laughed bitterly while wiping away rain and tears. "Do you have to kiss me every time you're alone with me?"

"Well, no, but I could arrange that, if you'd like."

She smiled a little and shook her head. "No, that's alright."

Merry felt that all the cold had been chased from his body when he saw her smile, even if it was forced. She didn't seem to mind his kisses anymore, but she still didn't seem to realize that he had feelings for her. He wanted to let her know so badly. "Stella I…" he trailed off, losing his nerve.

"Yes?"

"Never mind. I'm sorry about Trouble."

"I suppose I shall just have to know that Da and Freddy did it because they love me."

He sighed, pulling her close to him, but she drew away from his embrace. "I'll walk you home," he said. "This is no weather to be out alone in."

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**Reviews are always a good thing.**


	9. For the Thain

**A/N: Oh my Gandalf guys! I am giving you a chapter that is 2, 418 words without the author's note and the title (according to Microsoft Word). I know that it is the middle of July, and this is a… Christmas-y chapter, but it was sitting in my notebook for a long time, and…. Okay, whatever… Enough of my rambling.**

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**Chapter Eight: For the Thain**

It was time, once again, for the Yuletide celebration. Everyone was excited. It seemed that everyone was having some sort of party at sometime, and everyone was determined to outdo everyone else. Estella tried to stay away from it all. She had never been extremely sociable, and often told her brother that she didn't like the holidays because it was just an excuse for people to get together and get drunk. However, she couldn't escape every party, and was forced to go to a few, including one that Merry and Pippin were hosting at their home in Crickhollow.

"Come on, Estella," Freddy told her. "It'll be fun!"

She had agreed, though a bit grudgingly, planning to find an empty corner and sulk all night, unless Merry asked her to come join him and his friends. Then she would be sociable. Estella was loath to admit it, but she would have done almost anything for Merry. She would do anything for him because she… she… was she in love with him? When had she fallen in love with him?

She smiled a bit to herself, her train of thought putting her in a much better mood, and instead of thinking about the negative aspects of the party, she began to think about the positives. If nothing else, she could sit, and watch the people. She liked to people watch, even if she knew the people quite well. Yes, that's what she would do. She would people watch.

It was amazing what one could learn about others simply by watching them from across the room. In just over an hour, Estella had learned that Peony Bracegirdle had obviously gotten over Merry, and now had her sights set on… of all people… Estella's Freddy! That was certainly interesting. And Freddy seemed to enjoy the attention from her, if his flirting back was any indication. Perhaps they would start courting. Estella wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. She liked Peony well enough, but the prospect of having her as a sister-in-law was not quite so appealing.

Estella had learned that Pippin and Diamond were expecting a child. She wasn't showing yet, but Estella knew. The glow in her eyes, the way Pippin seemed to be making an extra special effort to take care of her, and the way that she kept touching her stomach was enough to give it away to anyone. She might have to let them know she knew about their little surprise that they were trying to keep a secret.

Estella had learned that Rose Gamgee was not near as worried about her fourth child as most other mothers would have been. Her third child, Little Rosie, had been born blind. No one knew why, but almost everyone in the Shire was expecting something to be wrong with this baby as well. But not Rose. She was confident that everything was going to turn out alright.

Estella had learned that Sam missed Frodo more than usual. He had been fairly quiet, not participating in much of the conversation going on around him, and he looked thoughtful and distant, as if he was somewhere else, or at least, wanting to be somewhere else.

Estella had learned that Pippin's father, the Thain of the Shire, was a tween at heart. He had been walking around with a bough of mistletoe in his hand all night, and then holding it over the heads of unsuspecting couples. According to tradition, the couple would not be allowed to move until they had shared a Yuletide kiss. Estella couldn't help but laugh when he made Pippin and Diamond kiss once again, and Diamond made a gesture for him to stop.

"Pippin is just like him, isn't he?"

Estella turned to find a very pregnant Rose Gamgee behind her. "Hello, Rose!"

"I haven't seen you in a very long time. Come here and give me a hug."

Estella obeyed, hugging her friend tightly. She had missed her dearly. It had been far too long since she had talked to Rose. "How are you doing?' she asked, hands on her friend's shoulders.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine. I'm wishing that I could convince this baby to come a month early so I can get around easier, but I'm fine."

"How is Sam doing this time around?" Estella wondered as she helped Rose sit down, then re-claimed her previous seat.

Rose smiled and looked towards her husband. He was sitting with Merry, sipping ale, and speaking quietly. "He's a little nervous, like always, but he's not afraid of something being wrong with the baby, if that's what you want to know. And how have you been since we last talked?"

"I've been quite well, really. Better than that."

Rose smiled and a mischievous glint entered her eyes. "And that wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Merry Brandybuck keeps staring at you, would it?"

Estella's first instinct was to deny it, but Rose was her friend. Why hide the truth from her? "Yes, actually, it does."

"He hasn't been courting you," Rose stated.

"No, but… well, not officially anyways, but I guess everyone kind of knows that we… um…"

"Have something together?" Rose prompted.

Estella looked at the floor and smiled. "I suppose so." Actually admitting to someone that she and Merry were almost officially a couple made her stomach tie itself into knots, and clouded her mind with pictures of past times that they had shared together.

"Is it love?" Rose teased, placing her hands over her heart and batting her eyelashes in an overly dramatic way.

Estella bit her lower lip in consideration, then looked from Rose to Sam. "How do you know when it's love? I mean, really love."

Rose squealed like a little lass, and clapped her hands. "Oh! It _is_ then!"

Estella grinned. "Well, I don't really know. That's why I asked you. You ought to know, after all."

"Stella, you want to see Merry happy, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Well, this is how you can tell if you truly love him or not. Picture him with a lass by his side, the happiest he's ever been." Rose saw a smile play on her friend's lips. "But don't picture yourself," she continued. "Picture the last girl you'd want him to fall in love with, picture the lass you dislike the most out of everyone you've ever met."

"Daisy Goodchild," Estella said without hesitation and through clenched teeth. It was well known that she and Daisy didn't get along, though no one really knew why. It had simply always been that way.

"Alright, now picture her on Merry's arm at every party, every dance, every social event in the Shire. He is happy. She is happy. Picture him marrying her. Picture her having his children. Picture her making him the happiest man on earth. Would you be content knowing that she was the one he loved, and knowing that he was happy? Would you try and get him away from her, or would you let him live his life?"

Estella thought about t his in silence for several moments. It took a solid thirty seconds for her to even imagine that Daisy would make Merry happy, but once she did that, the rest came easily. She never knew imagining something could make your heart hurt so badly. She was eventually able to give her answer. "I would be content knowing he was happy. I would be jealous of her, but if he was happy, then I would learn to live with it."

"Then you truly love him. Now, picture all of that, but put yourself in Daisy's place."

Estella smiled and playfully smacked Rosie's arm. "That was probably the stupidest thing you've ever made me do, and you've made me do a lot of stupid things, Rose Gamgee!"

Rose giggled. "I know. But you know you love him now, and that's a good thing, isn't it?"

Estella sighed. "I suppose it is. But I would never admit it to anyone besides you. Maybe Freddy, but no one else. Especially not him." She looked over in Merry's direction, only to find that he had been staring at her. Again. She smiled at him.

"Oh, why not? I told Sam I loved him the very first time we had a full length conversation since he returned!"

Estella waved her hand, as if dismissing this as unimportant. "Yes, but that's different. You didn't hate him for years. I can't tell Merry I love him."

"Oh for heaven's sake, why ever not?"

Estella laughed. "I just can't, Rose!"

Pippin sauntered over to his friends, a pipe in his mouth, a mug of ale in one hand, and a plate piled high with sweets in the other. "Hello, Merry, Sam!"

"Hello, Pip," Sam said.

"Now, Sam, what's wrong with you? This is a party, and you are sucking all the fun right out of it."

Merry gave Pippin a warning look. He had gotten Sam to tell him what was bothering him, and knew that the other hobbit would rather not discuss it again. "He's just a bit worried about the baby, that's all," Merry lied. He couldn't help but notice that Pippin had looked over his shoulder to his wife at the word "baby." Should he tell his best friend that he knew? No, he would let Pippin keep his little secret. He would play dumb for the moment.

"Oh, well…" Pippin started, but never finished his sentence. "Where's Estella, Merry? I thought you said she was coming?"

Merry indicated the two chairs in the corner where both Estella and Rose still sat, talking and giggling like teens. "She's not much of a party person. She'd rather stay at home, or just have one or two good friends over."

"I noticed," Pippin said. "Why don't you make her be sociable?" He shoved a cookie into his mouth and offered the rest of the plate to his friends, but when they silently refused his generosity, he just shrugged and handed the plate to Sam anyways.

Merry just shook his head. "As if. I can't even get her to kiss me without a fight!" Merry knew he was going to rue those words as soon as they left his mouth, for Pippin's eyes lit with that glow that meant he had a wicked idea. He grabbed his father, bough of mistletoe and all, and proudly presented him to Merry.

"Problem solved!" Pippin declared.

Paladin's eyes lit up just like Pippin's when he realized why he had been dragged halfway across the room. "And who is it that you are wanting to kiss, nephew?" he wondered.

Sam couldn't help but laugh at the mess Merry had gotten himself into. "She's going to murder you, Merry," he said.

"I know!"

"Who is it?" Paladin pressed.

Pippin pointed to her. "Estella Bolger." Father, son, and Sam all laughed while Merry began planning his will.

_'This is so incredibly bad. She isn't going to make my death quick and painless either, I know that much. Oh dear, I can't even imagine how angry she'll be with me!' _But he didn't have any more time to think about it, for there she was, standing in front of him, and his Uncle Paladin was holding the mistletoe over their heads. He swallowed hard.

"Alright, now you _have_ to kiss!' Pippin taunted, very loudly, which grabbed the attention of most of the guests. The room suddenly erupted in "Ooh!" and lots of laughter. Merry and Estella stood in an awkward silence for what seemed to be an eternity. Neither of them were allowed to move, as Pippin had a hold on Merry, and Sam's hand on Estella's shoulder kept her from trying to escape.

"Come on, Stella," Rose said.

"Hurry up! Will you do it for me?" Pippin asked Merry, who only shook his head in reply.

Paladin tried appealing to Estella this time. "Well, if Merry won't do it for Pip, will you kiss Merry because I'm the Thain of the Shire, and I asked it of you?"

Estella rolled her eyes, but framed Merry's face with her hands and kissed him. Then she stomped back to her corner, a most unhappy look on her face. Everyone else laughed and clapped, but quickly went back to their previous activities. Merry watched Estella for a moment, feeling that he needed to go and tell her that it was not his fault, but fearing for his life. He glanced around, and found that Freddy was glaring at him, and looked even angrier than Estella herself. _'I guess I'll take the lesser of two evils,'_ he thought as he headed towards Estella. _'At least I know how to deal with her when she's angry.'_

"Stella?"

"What?" she snapped.

"That was Pippin's idea, not mine. I didn't want to make you do that."

She turned around to face him and smiled sweetly. "Good to know. You're still going to pay." And then she turned back around, facing the wall.

"I am really, really, really sorry!" he tried, knowing apologies were near futile at this point. She didn't respond. He took a few steps closer to her chair and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Stell, don't do this. It wasn't my fault! I never would have done that."

"I know."

"So, you forgive me?"

She laughed. "Oh, you wish you were forgiven!"

He sat on the floor beside her. "Why are you so upset about it?"

"Everyone was watching, that's why."

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at her. She obviously found something about the wall very interesting, and he was sure she could burn a hole through it if she kept staring at it that way. "You… you know, Estella, I… um… I didn't mean for that to happen, but I'm glad it did." She didn't say anything. He stood and gently touched her shoulder again. "Thank you for coming tonight, I know you don't like parties. Have a wonderful Yule, and I…" he trailed off. _'I love you!' _his mind screamed. _'Just tell her you love her!' _He tried again. "Estella, I… I think you look pretty tonight." He turned and walked away then, wishing he could just go bang his head against a wall. _That _had _not_ gone as planned.

Estella however, merely smiled to herself. "You look nice too, Merry," she muttered under her breath. She had been watching him all night. She knew what he really meant.

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**A/N: Please review!**


	10. In the Dark

**A/N: Hey all! Okay, I'm back from the hospital, and back to writing. And, I thought I'd mention that the only reason I have Merry going to Bag End instead of Number 3 Bagshot Row, is because Frodo left Bag End to Sam and Rose after he left. Or, that's how I understand it anyways. Please inform me if I am wrong. Anyways, my beta thought I should probably change it, but I decided to be stubborn, and leave it the way it was. Mostly. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Nine: In the Dark

There were no stars and no moon to light his way tonight. The sky was covered under a thick layer of ominous black clouds, but it was better than being…in _there_. In _there_, where he could _smell_ death, feel it seeping into his father. He felt badly for abandoning his mother like that, but he had to get _away,_ if only for a moment. That moment turned into an hour, and that hour into an hour and a half. The snow would have made him uncomfortable if he'd been thinking enough to feel it. He was numb, completely numb, not feeling anything. When he became aware of his surroundings once again, he saw a light in a window. It was the front window of Bag End. He hadn't realized how far he had walked in his blind grief. All of a sudden, he was very cold. He ran to the front door and knocked. It was late, he knew, but he was freezing, and quite a long way from home. He didn't want to walk back now.

He was surprised to see Estella answer the door. She seemed equally surprised to see him.

"Merry! What are you doing out there? Come inside!"

"Thank you," he managed between his chattering teeth. He listened to her babbling about how he should not have been out so late and in such cold, and how he would have to stay for the night because he couldn't possibly walk back to Brandy Hall this late. She sounded like his mother. He liked that.

Once she had dragged him to a chair by the fire in the kitchen, he asked, "Why are you here?"

She ran out of the room for a moment, and came back with a blanket. "Take off your cloak, it's soaked!" Once he had removed it, she draped the blanket over his shoulders. "Sam and Rose asked me if I could stay and help out for the last few weeks of Rose's pregnancy. Everyone else is asleep, so we need to be quiet, but you are not going to bed till you're warmed up."

"Oh," was his only response. He had at last noticed that she was in naught but her nightgown, and it made him a bit uncomfortable. She shoved a hot cup of tea into his hands and commanded him to drink it. After it was gone, she asked,

"Why were you out there?"

Merry sighed, watching her hands as she took the cup from him and set it on the table. He loved her hands. They were so tiny and perfect. _'And so soft,'_ he thought, as he took one in his own, gently rubbing it with his thumb.

"Merry," she demanded. "Why were you out there?"

He didn't really want to discuss it. Apart from the fact that it was painful, he was ashamed that he had left. His poor mother! But this was Estella. He could tell her, couldn't he?

"Merry?"

He had never heard her use that tone before. She sounded genuinely worried, maybe even scared. He felt her hand gently brush his cheek, and only then did he realize that he had been crying.

"My father is dying," he whispered. "I…I had to…I just had to get out of there."

At that moment, she did the last thing he expected her to do. She came to him, sat on his lap, and hugged him.

"Cry," she said gently. "Just cry. You need to."

And with that gentle assurance from her, he let every bottled emotion out. He held her tightly and sobbed, and found that she was crying too. He hadn't the strength to ask why, and just held to her even tighter, and cried even harder, his salty tears soaking through her sleeve, and hers through his. There was something that felt right about having her be this near to him, so close that he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. There was something calming about it as well, and it helped him to gather his thoughts, and bring his emotions under control.

"Stell," he sniffed. "Why are you crying?"

She wiped her eyes and then wrapped her arms around his neck again. "Because I don't like seeing you hurting like this. It hurts me too."

Merry hadn't been expecting that answer from her, and didn't know what to say. He remained silent instead.

"Besides that," she said, wiping tears off his face as well as her own. "You're a lad, and whenever I see a lad cry, it makes me want to cry too."

"Only, you normally don't," he pointed out.

She smiled a little. "No, I normally don't."

They sat in silence for a moment, simply looking at each other. Estella could see his gaze darting from her eyes to her lips.

When he started to lean in towards her, she abruptly stood and said, "Well, we best get this mostly cleaned up before morning." She took both of their cups over to the sink, gently setting them down as to keep quiet as possible.

Merry followed suit, putting the chairs back, and folding up the blanket she had gotten for him. He took it back into the parlor and then quickly came back to the kitchen to thank Estella. She wasn't there. Where had she gone? He wanted to tell her goodnight! He was being silly, he knew, but he wanted to see her one more time before he went to bed.

"Estella?" he whispered.

"Yes?" she answered from the hallway. "What do you need?"

He quickly covered the distance of the kitchen floor, and saw her barely illuminated form in the hall holding clean sheets, presumably for his bed. "Nothing, I just…wanted to thank you."

Confused, but smiling, she shook her head. "For what?"

"For…for…I don't know. For just being there. And for just being you."

Seemingly pleased with this comment, she nodded. "You're welcome, Merry. Do you think you can make up your own bed? It's late, and I am very tired."

He nodded, and she held the sheets out to him. Instead of taking them from her, he grabbed her upper arms, and pushed her further back into the darkened hallway, pressing her up against the wall.

She was startled and struggling to get away, which he found adorable.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, if you don't let me go this _instant,_ I swear I shall kick you somewhere you _don't_ want to be kicked!" she hissed venomously.

"No, you won't," he replied. "You told me you don't like to see me hurting."

"Let. Me. Go." She repeated.

He grinned. "Kiss me goodnight."

He heard the thump of her head hitting the wall, and an annoyed sigh. In the dark, he could barely make out the scowl on her face. "On one condition; you tell me what you wanted to say at your Yuletide party. I already know what you meant, but I want to hear you say it."

Merry was flabbergasted. His arms fell limp at his sides, no longer holding Estella captive, but she remained where he had kept her.

After the initial shock, he mumbled, "If I say it, will you say it back?"

"I don't know. You'll have to find out. Just say it!"

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "Estella…I…"

"Say it!"

"I love you, Estella."

She rolled her eyes. "Finally! And perhaps if I told you I loved you too, it would be easier for you to say it in the future."

"It would," he agreed.

She let him pull her close. "Then, I love you, Merry." Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a rather disappointing peck on the lips before pulling free of his grasp and heading down the hallway to her room.

"Wha…? That's it?" Merry cried, though in a whisper.

"Yes! Merry, it is late, no one else is awake, we're in a dark hallway, and I'm not wearing anything but my nightgown! I'm terrified to do more than that! Goodnight!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "You're _terrified_ of something?"

"And if you tell anyone, I really will kick you." This statement was quite effective in both shutting Merry up, and making him content that he had gotten to kiss her at all.

He picked up the sheets that had been forgotten on the floor, and went to the room he usually slept in upon visits to the Gamgees' home. Quickly making the bed, he thought about how she had completely changed his mood. She had made an evening of despair and anticipation of death into an evening of…finally admitting he loved her.

"She is amazing," he whispered to himself as he slipped into bed. "And I love her for it."

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**A/N: Review please! I will no longer apologize for my infrequent updates, just assume I'm sorry! Also… I have a random little one-shot about Merry and Stella that doesn't have any reviews right now! *Hint hint***


	11. For a Harp

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A/N: Alrighty. So. This took forever. Just like every other chapter has... yeeeeah... Okay. The next one is actually almost halfway done! So, hopefully, you'll be getting that soon. Also, I didn't want to wait for my beta... so I'm posting this beofre she's looked at it. I am terribly sorry! Just so you know, I am aware that "Dark" and "Harp" do not really rhyme. I'm thinking that I might want to stop trying to think of chapter titles that rhyme or at least sound the same.

Huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I'm up to forty! I didn't think I'd get past twenty! You guys are awesome, and I love you all. One more thing, then I'll shut-up, I promise. You can give the credit for this chapter to my brother, who bought me a harp for Christmas. I snooped and found it, so I got it early. :)

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**Chapter Ten: For a Harp**

Estella rarely fell under what Pippin's "starry-eyed-mush-head-books" would call "the spell of her Prince Charming," but she seemed mystified enough now.

Pippin and Fredegar were both very amused though, as Merry had no idea what he was doing. He had never played one before, and he was really just plucking strings at random, sending musical vibrations through the air. However, the lass seemed entranced by the exotic sound.

"What's it called again?" she wondered.

"A harp," Merry answered.

She smiled and ran her hand over the small stringed instrument. "It's so beautiful! Legolas sent it to you?"

Merry nodded and handed the harp to Estella, smiling at Pippin. How his cousin knew Estella would love the thing so much he would never know. He was glad though, for it would serve as a wonderful gift of apology for his bad behavior towards her. Since his father died, he had been distant, shoving her away, and he knew it had hurt her, despite the usual efforts to hide her feelings. He hoped this would be enough to make up for it. But he wouldn't give it to her just yet. His birthday was coming up, and it would be a most lovely present for her.

"It's too bad he didn't send anyone who knows how to play it as well," Fredegar commented, not nearly as impressed by the hit-and-miss notes as Estella was.

"Well, maybe I'll be able to teach myself a little," Merry suggested. "And if not, then I'm sure Diamond would be able to figure it out, given a few weeks. She can play almost anything."

"But," Pippin added, "Poor lass can't cook to save her life."

"See, there's the difference between you and me, Pippin!" Freddy exclaimed. "I have already chosen to find a wife with excellent skills in the kitchen, although I don't know that anyone could measure up to Stelly."

Estella straightened up a bit and smiled. "That is so very, very true, and I'll thank you for finally realizing it after all these years."

"And she's humble, too!" Merry cried, getting a smirk from her.

"But Freddy, you're not really thinking about marrying Peony, are you?" Estella wondered, the smirk melting into a questioning and slightly concerned face.

Fredegar shrugged. "I don't know. Why do you care so much?"

"Because you're my big brother," she said, as though it should have been very plain to him. "I'm just not sure that she's the right one for you."

Fredegar watched subtly as Merry slipped an arm around Estella's waist. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about his friend's increasing romantic interest in his sister. He shook his head, now was not the time to think of this. "Well," he said. "Would you rather me marry Daisy?"

"Oh! Please, no! Kill me now, would you? Take Peony! Marry her and have a dozen children, just as long as you stay away from Daisy!" Estella yelled, feigning the most horrified air she could to add to her melodramatics.

The three lads chuckled at her antics, but knew not to press the subject. It was generally known that Estella and Fredegar Bolger had become very close during the Occupation (though they still had their sibling spats every now and again), and it was also generally assumed that if any lass were to lay a hand on Fred, she would have Estella to go through first. Likewise, if any lad were to say anything or do anything indecent to Estella, they would have to answer to Fredegar, and nobody really wanted to deal with either of them.

Merry had never spoken his thoughts aloud on the subject of the sibling's overprotective nature of one another, but he figured that he had an unfair advantage when it came to Estella. Not that she had lads falling at her feet or begging for her attention; she was really quite plain, and her snappy and sometimes unpleasant nature made sure that Merry had nearly no competition for her affections, except for the occasional desperate lad who would court any lass that would give him the time of day. And most of the time, Estella would not, so he really had her all to himself.

But Merry did not see her as a plain, mean-spirited lass anymore. Everyday that he spent with her, every new thing he learned about her made her more beautiful and desirable to him, made him want more of her company. He had fallen in love with her, really fallen in love, that September day, five months ago when he had found her in the apple orchard. She hadn't been wearing a pretty dress, no, she was in her brother's clothes. Her hair had not been done, no, it was pulled into a sloppy bun on the back of her head. She had certainly gone to no effort to impress him! For goodness sake! It was a chance meeting and she had been in a tree with apple juice dripping off her chin! But that was the first time he had ever felt short of breath because she looked so beautiful to him.

That was, he thought, another advantage he had. He truly loved her, and her brother knew it. Fredegar was, of course, something to be concerned about, but Merry didn't really worry over it. After all, he had nearly always been friends with him, and he knew Fred's mannerisms. Merry had a good idea of how to deal with him, though he was always unpredictable when he was angry.

A note from the harp shook him from his musings. Estella was concentrating, trying hard to figure out which string to strum to get the right sound. He watched her with intense eyes.

Her brow was furrowed in concentration, and the tip of her tongue was peeking through her lips, as it often did when she was trying very hard to accomplish something. He wanted to watch her just a little longer, watch the satisfied glow in her eyes when she finally found the right string, but the feel of someone else's eyes on him made him look up. He was confused for a moment, for Freddy had no cause to be glaring at him like that. It hit him after a moment, why the other lad was sending him looks of death.

He had been completely wrong. The fact that he was a childhood friend did not matter in the least to Fredegar. This was his baby sister, and when it came to her, no one was good enough.

Estella sighed, drawing the attention of both lads. "Oh! It's so gorgeous! Thank you for letting me play it," she told Merry before kissing his lips. No, no no! The one moment he could not take advantage of it! The one moment he couldn't kiss her back! That's when she chooses to kiss him? Of all the chances she'd had to kiss him today, she had to take that one. In front of her brother. Of course. Leave it to Stella to make things difficult.

_'And there's the look again.'_ He thought, as Pippin began teasing Estella for showing her affection for his cousin in front of people. _'If looks could cut flesh, I would be maimed,'_ Merry thought, but Estella's fingers tangling with his soon distracted him, and he watched her expression turn from joy to longing as he took the harp from her. Yes, it was the perfect present for her. She would love it.

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**A/N: Soooo... how was it? Stella was not being like herself. She was in a really good mood, apparently. Let me know what you think in a review!**


	12. In the Snow

**A/N: I am feeling pretty good about myself right about now. Yup. The next chapter is done as well. Right. So, I actually got several messages asking if this was getting close to the end. It probably is, but this is not the last chapter, and the next one won't be either. ****

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**Chapter Eleven: In the Snow**

As a rule, there was never much snow in the Shire before Yule, and even less afterwards.

This year was an exception to the rule. Not only was there snow, there was ice. Bywater Pond was completely frozen over.

Estella laughed as she watched Elanor and Frodo lead little Rosie out onto the ice, slipping and sliding and falling on their backsides all the way. They were having fun, and she hated to ruin that, but they had been gone for too long. Their mother would be expecting them home soon.

However, when she called them over, Frodo decided to show off his rare naughty streak and flat out tell her,

"No! Not goin' home!"

Estella raised her eyebrows in surprise at the five-year-old. His older sister slapped her hand over her mouth in amazement that Frodo would speak to an adult that way. Three-year-old Rosie just giggled as she tried (and failed) to stand on the slick ice.

"Well, then," Estella called. "I suppose that I shall have to come and get you!" She looked at the ice warily, but if the children could do it, then she could too. She was already wishing that she had worn shoes, and when she stepped onto the ice, she wished for it even more, but she always thought she looked ridiculous in shoes, as did most other hobbits, and so she had opted for her usual bare-footed look.

Now, she was paying for it. She shivered and placed the other foot on the frozen pond, and then slowly began to walk towards the naughty little Gamgee boy. He grinned at her, ran a few steps, and then slid on his belly, scooting farther away from her. Estella struggled between irritation and adoration for the little one. He was quite cute when he was being bad.

"Frodo-lad, come on, now. Your mummy will worry if you're not home soon!"

He shook his head and used his hands to push himself even further away when she took a few more tentative steps forward. "No!"

"Frodo…" she tried to use the tone that Sam used with the boy when he was in trouble, but she was not Sam, and Frodo knew that he had no reason to fear her, so he hopped up, and tried to run, but just ended up sliding more.

Estella then decided that the only way she would be able to catch him was to use his methods of getting away. Smiling with childlike anticipation, she ran and slid on her tummy, just as he had done. The boy squealed with laughter at seeing a grown-up do something so silly, and in doing so, forgot to run away from his Auntie Stella. She grabbed him and laughed triumphantly as she tickled him. He squirmed and begged for mercy, but finally agreed to go home.

"But you gotta race me," he said, in a tone so serious that one would have thought that the fate of the world depended upon it.

Struggling not to laugh, Estella agreed, and they raced back, sliding on their bellies. Estella let him pull ahead of her, and when they were on much less slippery land, she grabbed him under the arms and swung him around. Then, of course, Elanor and Rosie wanted a turn, and Estella got so dizzy that she collapsed into the snow, laughing hard. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands to her head, attempting to stop the world from spinning before her eyes.

"You're the best Auntie ever!" Frodo cried, with agreement from Elanor, and a laugh from Rosie. They babbled on about how they wanted her to come and take them on an outing the next day, and she heard them, but did not listen.

All of a sudden, the children became suspiciously quiet. Estella opened her eyes, and standing above her was Merry Brandybuck. When he saw her looking at him, he dropped the pile of snow in his hands dangerously close to her head.

"Hello, Merry."

"Hello, Estella," he said, holding out a gloved hand to help her to her feet. She ignored it, as he knew she would. It made him smile.

"May I ask why the children became so quiet when you arrived?"

"I told them to," he answered. "Because I was going to dump some snow on your face, but you had to go and ruin it by opening your eyes."

Elanor giggled at the thought, and Frodo's eyes shone with absolute adoration for his adopted uncle.

"You are a wicked lad, Merry Brandybuck," she said, shaking her head. "And you've gone and made little Frodo absolutely love your mischief!"

"Aw, you love it too, Stell, don't deny it." He tweaked her nose, then picked up little Rosie and swung her up onto his shoulders. The tiny blonde girl wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her cheek on his curly head, looking as if she could fall asleep before they even reached Bag End.

"Let's go home before it starts snowing again."

Elanor bounced up and down. "It's going to snow more?"

"Of course, Ellie! What else do you think those clouds mean?"

Elanor grinned and clapped her hands before running over to Estella and taking her hand.

As the five of them walked towards Bag End, the children talked about how their baby brother Merry, who could not play in the snow yet, and how sad it must be for him. They decided that they would have to tell the new baby all about their day and that maybe it would make him feel better.

Estella and Merry both smiled at their almost-nieces and nephews, both silently wondering if they would ever have children this sweet.

Rosie welcomed Merry and Estella in and offered them hot tea to warm them up, but they declined. Estella wanted to go home, and Merry wanted to be with Estella, so they left after making sure all three little Gamgees were safely inside the hobbit hole.

"They're just adorable," Estella sighed, pulling her cloak a little tighter around herself as large, white flakes of snow began to fall.

"They are," Merry agreed. "Estella?"

"Hm?"

He swallowed hard. He knew he shouldn't be so nervous. The question he was going to ask wasn't even that important! He just wanted to know her thoughts on the subject. If she said no, then she was simply not ready yet. But if she said yes…

"You've thought about marriage," he said, but it was a question.

She looked at him sideways. "I have, yes."

"Well, what about… what about to me?"

Now she laughed quietly. "Yes, I have thought about marrying you."

Merry sighed, relieved. "Oh, good. Wait, really? You have?"

"Yes!" she laughed. "I have! And I am not completely appalled by the idea either."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" he wondered.

"Take your pick."

He smiled and quickly kissed her cheek. "Coming from you, that is a compliment."

"Don't be so sure," she said slyly.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her nose before she demanded to be let go.

They walked in silence for a moment before he continued. "So, if I were to ask you to marry me, you would say yes?"

"Most likely."

He stopped walking and turned her around so she was facing him. Snow was beginning to rest in her hair. It made her look like something from a fairy tale. "May I speak to your father about it then?"

She nodded. "You may, but why don't you talk to Freddy first? He isn't too sure about us you know. Maybe if you ask him before Da, he'll feel better about it."

"Yes, you're probably right. Oh, Estella, I love you!" he cried as he picked her up and spun her around.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. "I love you, too, Merry." She had never seen him this happy before, and she loved knowing that she was the reason for his joy.

"You really will marry me if I ask?" he asked, setting her back on her feet.

"Yes! Yes, I will!"

He hugged her close and buried his nose into her hair, just breathing in her scent. He was pleasantly surprised when she made no objections, merely holding him back and giving a contented sigh. He tilted her chin up with one hand, and quickly kissed her before she could move away like he knew she would. He wasn't letting her go this time, not now, not when she had practically just said she would be his wife.

When he felt her begin to pull away, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and wrapped the other around her waist, holding her close. He could feel her relaxing and beginning to kiss him back in a way she never had before. He could feel her smiling. He let her draw away then, but only because he was feeling the need to fill his lungs with air again.

"Merry," Estella gasped, cheeks flushed from the cold, and Merry guessed, some embarrassment as well. "I think I just found a problem with us getting married."

"And that is?" Merry asked, suddenly terrified.

"I don't know that I can kiss you for too terribly long without hurting my neck. You're just too tall."

Sighing with relief, he bent down and kissed her again.

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**A/N: So, review. Please! I love reviews! **


	13. Over Cookie Dough

**A/N: So, I finally got a new jumpdrive, and after three tries, got Fanfiction to work with me and not delete the author's note and format this the way I wanted. Anybody got any ideas for chapter titles that might possibly inspire me?

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Chapter Twelve: Over Cookie Dough

"Irate" would be the best word to describe Estella's mood of late, but rather than taking it out on her family or friends, her mother had suggested she find a constructive outlet for her frustration. And so, Estella baked. She baked cakes and pies and cookies and pastries and muffins and scones and any other kind of wonderfully sweet treat you can imagine.

"I think you should be this way more often, Estella," her brother teased, stuffing another forkful of cherry pie into his mouth. Estella threw a spoon at him. He held up one hand and caught the spoon, making Estella even angrier. "Calm down, will you? What's got you so riled up anyways?"

She turned around so quickly Fred wondered how she had done it.

"Merry has spoken to you, has he not?"

"About marrying you? Yes," he said, before sitting down at the kitchen table to finish his pie.

"And you have given us your blessing, have you not?"

"I have. Grudgingly, but I have."

"He has spoken to Da, hasn't he?"

"Yes…" Fredegar said cautiously.

Turning back to her bowl of ingredients and cracking the eggs in such a manner as she was, one would have thought she had murder on her mind. "Then, for Eru's sake, why won't he talk to me about it anymore?"

"Estella, don't swear!" her mother called from another room. Estella growled and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Freddy, whenever I bring it up, he just changes the subject!" She looked around the counter in confusion for a minute before turning to her brother. "Can you get me the spoon I threw at you please?" When said item had been fetched, she gave a quiet "Thank you," before returning to her angry speech. "He talked to Da about it in January! It's March now. One would think he would have officially asked me by now, or at least talked about it with me a bit more." She stopped short when she heard her brother's laughter. "What is so funny about this?"

"You're just so dramatic! It's hilarious!"

"I am not being dramatic, and it is not hilarious! I think I have every right to be upset with him. The lad asks me if I would marry him should he ask, and then lets the subject drop for months!"

Freddy laughed again, picking up a delicate looking pastry from a tray that still felt warm. "It's a little bit hilarious."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Get out of my kitchen!" She screamed.

A few minutes later, Estella was sitting on her bed. '_A grown hobbit and they still send me to my room to punish me,'_ she thought. '_Half an hour. Half an hour I have to sit here and do nothing? I have unfinished cookies out there! This is all Merry's fault, really. If he hadn't been so…ugh! Why won't he talk about it? I just want to know about what he thinks of certain things, like how many children he wants. That's not such a hard question. If I could just ask him one that would be the only one I would think about.'_

Lying down on her worn blankets, she pulled her knees up to her chest. '_And what color our bedroom would be. I want to know that, too. I like blue, but he will probably want something other than that.' _She pulled her pillow away from the head of the bed to reveal a rather filthy looking bit of rag and stuffing. '_I suppose I shall have to get rid of Kitty once we're married.'_ Kitty was a small stuffed toy her mother had made for her when she was very young. It had once been a dog, but Estella had learned how to say "kitty" before she could say "doggie" and so the thing's name became Kitty. She smiled fondly at the old toy.

_'Perhaps Mama will make one for our first baby?'_ She closed her eyes and held her first toy close to her chest before she fell asleep.

"Stella," Fredegar said, quietly entering his sister's room. "Stella, Mother told me to come get you so you can clean up the mess in the kitchen."

"Nooooo!" she whined.

Smiling, Freddy sat on the bed beside her and took Kitty from her. She was up in an instant.

"Don't touch her!" she cried, grabbing back her precious first toy.

"Sorry, but I know that's the only way to get you up from a nap. Look, Mother says you need to clean up the kitchen, so you'd better do it."

"Why didn't she let me do it before she sent me to my room?" wondered Estella, slowly getting up and stretching. Add "fighting with Fred" to list of things I will miss when I'm married, she told herself, cracking her knuckles and walking into the kitchen.

She straightened things up a bit, but soon found herself unable to stay away from the unfinished cookie dough. She mentally checked off a list of things that she had already put in and added a pinch of cinnamon before beginning to stir.

Fredegar watched her, for a moment, assessing her mood, and then turned to Merry. The other lad had arrived a few moments earlier, but Fred didn't want to tell his sister that for fear of her killing Merry. She was in a foul mood in the first place, and whenever she was awakened from a nap, it made everything worse.

"You can probably go in now. I think she's mostly awake, so that'll take care of some of her anger issues. She threw a spoon at me earlier though, so watch out."

Merry smiled and nodded before creeping into the kitchen. He silently walked up behind Estella, who was muttering quietly to herself and beginning to scoop out the dough onto a tray. Suddenly, he grabbed her around the waist and kissed her cheek. He could tell that she just barely bit back a scream.

"Hello, love."

"What are you doing here? Let me go!"

He did not let her go, which only made her angrier. He thought she was beautiful when she was angry. "I heard that there were some excess sweets here, and that I was the cause. I thought that it was worth investigating."

"You are the cause. Would you let me go?"

He shook his head.

"My Da is just down the hall. I'll scream and tell him you did horrible things to me if you don't let go."

"Alright, you win." He released her, and she went back to her baking.

"Thank you. Now, what are you doing here?"

Merry hopped up onto the counter, and Estella looked up at him. He really looked, if Estella would admit it to herself, rather dashing. "Fred told me you were upset with me, and I wanted to apologize for…whatever it is I've done."

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you."

That was typical Estella. Merry knew how to get an answer though. He hopped off the counter, took her face in his hands and kissed her. "What did I do?" he demanded. She just glared at him, so he kissed her again. He loved it when she was angry. "Stella, would you please tell me what I did to make you angry?" He kissed her one more time, fairly certain that her stubbornness was ebbing away.

After a moment of silence, she asked him, "How many children do you want?"

"Four," was his answer. "And you?"

"Six," she told him.

"Can we compromise?"

"Five?"

"Yes, five sounds perfect."

"I'm still mad at you!" she cried.

He grinned. "Sorry."

She gave an aggravated huff. "Would you just kiss me again, you idiot?"

Merry gladly obliged.

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**A/N: Review! I'm nearly to fifty! Who wants to get it up to that?**


	14. Because of a Bee Sting

**A/N: Alright. Here is chapter thirteen! Not my best work... but... well, just be nice, please. Oodles of thanks, virtual hugs, and apple pie to those of you who have been patient with me and reviewed! You guys are amazing! Don't let me down now! Even if it is to tell me this chapter sucks, review.

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**Chapter Thirteen: Because of a Bee Sting**

The day was perfect, and Estella was sure that this was going to be the day. Today, Merry would propose to her; she was almost certain of it. He had showed up at her house with a picnic basket, and asked her to accompany him down by the bank of the river. Surely, there was no more romantic setting than that?  
He had brought the perfect lunch for an early summer day. There were thin slices of bread, roast beef, chicken, potato salad, boiled eggs, fruit salad, strawberries coated in sugar, and chocolate cake. They both ate until they were full, and even then there were leftovers.

"Estella," Merry said, watching her pop another strawberry into her mouth. "How can someone eat so much and still be as thin as you?"  
She shrugged before lying down on the blanket to look up at the sky. "I've always been skinny, and it never seemed to matter what I tried to do to gain weight, I never could."

"Well, some lasses would give a lot to not be able to gain weight." He lay down beside her and decided to annoy her. He grabbed a lock of her hair and tugged on it just enough to irk her.

"Merry, stop it," she said.

He did it again, a bit harder, but not quite hard enough to hurt her. She swatted his hand away and fixed him with a glare that would have stopped any other lad cold. Not Merry. He knew her too well. He tangled all his fingers into her hair and kissed her hard on the lips. He got yelled at for that, and decided that it would be wise to quit.

He rolled over so he was on his stomach and smirked at her. She glared back.

"You know, someday we are going to be married, and you are going to have to let me touch you at some point."

"Says who?" she shot back.

He grinned. "Says the fact that you want five children!"

Estella blushed as red as a beet. "Merry! Honestly, could you be any more improper?"

"Believe me, I could."

She rolled her eyes, knowing she should have expected that answer. "Well, if at all possible, could you please try to be a gentlehobbit?"

"Alright, I shall try. It is difficult though, being out here all alone with the lass I am desperately in love with..."

"Merry, just stop. Just...shut up, alright?"

He sighed and wrapped an arm around her. "Aw, Stelly..."

"Don't call me that! Only Freddy is allowed to call me that."

"Well, as your future husband I believe that I am entitled to at least one pet name."

"Alright, just as long as it's not too cutesy. Fred has taken to calling Peony 'Kitty,' and it makes me want to vomit every time he does it!"

He pulled her a little closer, then wished that he hadn't, for the overwhelming desire to kiss her senseless came over him, and he knew he could not act on it. He was having trouble thinking clearly now. He was supposed to be thinking of something... A pet name for her, right! But he couldn't think of anything besides "Unknowingly Seductive", and he didn't think she would like that very much.

She was so close to him, they were alone, and the whole situation was just so tempting.

Fortunately for him, she pushed him gently away and sat upright, fussing with her hair, as if she had sensed his thoughts.

Disappointment and relief filled him all at once. He began to rethink his plan on when to propose to her. If he asked her now, he would surely get a kiss, but if he went through with his plan and waited just a little longer it would be so much better. In his frustration, he groaned and lay back down on the blanket.

"Oh, what's the matter with you?" she wondered. She lay on her stomach and decided it was her turn to play with his hair, not realizing that she was making everything even more difficult. If she didn't stop soon, he was going to do something he would regret. He clenched his fist around a flower to try and keep control of himself, and then all thoughts of Estella's sweet tasting lips fled his mind.

"Ow!" he cried in pain, instantly releasing the flower, and finding that he had accidentally trapped a bumble bee.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"What?"

"A bee just stung me!" he shouted.

Her brow creased in concern. "Here, let me see," she motioned for his hand, and he let her have it. She pulled the black stinger out if his palm and then laughed a little. "That's it? That little red spot? That is what has you crying like a little child? Merry, it was just a bee, not even a wasp!"

He straightened up, offended. "I am not crying!"

"Whining then."

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "It hurts," he mumbled.

She laughed again and brought his palm to her lips. "Weren't you the one that told me kisses heal?"

He nodded, and looked at the three tiny white scars on her face. He remembered that day vividly, actually. That day was the first time he had considered telling her he loved her. It was also the first time he lost his nerve.

"Does it feel better now?"

"Not at all," he declared, effectively earning another kiss. "You know, I think my cheek got stung too."

"It did not, and you know it."

"But what if it did? It could have been a really tiny bee," he suggested, only getting an eye roll. If she wanted to play that way, then they would. Merry knew what he was going to do. He also knew that he was risking a lot. If she got her hopes too high, only to have them dashed, he could end up with a handprint on the side of his face. Was it worth the risk? Regardless if whether it was or not, Merry's mind was made up. He took both Estella's hands in his and looked at her seriously.

"Stella, I have a question to ask you."

Her eyes widened and she squeezed his hands. "Yes?"

"I wasn't going to ask you today, but it just seems like a good time and..."

"Yes?"

"Estella, have you ever been stung by a bee?"

She let go of his hands and turned away from him as he laughed. "Yes, I have, but it was not nearly as unpleasant as having you as my beau!"

"Oh, I'm not so bad as all that, am I?"

"You're insufferable, Merry! It is May now! _May!_ I want to get married so badly, and I thought you did too, but you keep putting off asking me, and it makes me wonder if I am really what you want."

Merry's cousins had told him he could be insensitive without knowing it at times. That was years ago. It was Pervinca's birthday, and he had made a comment about her dress, and apparently, telling a lass that her birthday gown isn't nearly as pretty as her sister's is not a good thing to do. He had dismissed it at the time, but now, he supposed the Took sisters were right. He had been insensitive to his dear Estella.

He took Estella in his arms and apologized to her. "I am sorry, sweetheart. I know you want to get married, and I do too. And you have to believe me when I say that there is no one in all of Middle Earth that I want more than you."

"Then why won't you ask me to be your wife?" she asked softly, snuggling into his embrace.

"I will, Stella, I will. If you can just wait a little bit longer... just a few more weeks, and I promise that we will be engaged."

"You have some sort of sappy, sentimental plan, don't you?" She stated more than asked.

He nodded proudly. "I do. But don't worry. There are really only two things about my brilliant plan that are sappy and sentimental."

"Well, that's good to know."

He held her tighter, and they sat in silence, just content to be in the presence of the other. At length, Merry turned her around and whispered,

"I am fairly certain that a bee just stung me on the lips."

Rolling her eyes, but giving him an indulgent smile, she lifted her hand to his cheek. "And I suppose you think I am going to kiss it better for you?"

"Well, that was what I was hoping for."

And so, Estella kissed it better.

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**A/N: Seriously, if you guys can't figure out what the next chapter is, I might have to send Frodo Baggins to your house. And he will have Sting. And he will use Sting. **


	15. For an Engagement Ring

**A/N: Alright, I should probably fix some things in previous chapters so that the timeline actually works. I will do it later, I promise, but you guys are going to have to remind me. Life is crazy. Anyways... I almost have 70 reviews. Wow. Just... you guys are so cool. You get the estie stamp of coolness. I'm not exactly sure what that means for you all, but... I am so thankful that you guys have given me that many reviews! And not one of them has been a flame! Flames would be used to torture my brother anyways... but regardless... I'll just stop now. Okay.

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Chapter Fourteen: For an Engagement Ring

Estella surprised herself with how quickly she ran to answer the door, but she knew that knock. It was Merry. It was the seventh day he had come to her door, and she had no doubt that he had yet another present for her. The first day of the week, he brought her a sliver bracelet. The second day, he brought her five little trinkets that could be put on the bracelet. The third day, he brought her an apron. It may have seemed too simple to some, but to Estella, it was a wonderful gift. On the fourth day, he had come with a new book for her. The fifth day brought a new dress, and the sixth, a kitten, which Estella had named Star.

She was sure that after six days of wonderful, yet disappointing gifts, he would finally have her ring. He had told her that it would be coming shortly, but he hadn't told her exactly _when. _It was just like him, really, to get her excited every day, only to let her downwith gifts that, under other circumstances, she would have loved. He had been kind though. He would present her with her gift, and then give her an apologetic kiss to make everything worth the wait. Today though, the only thing he had with him was an umbrella to shelter him from the drizzling rain that had been falling all day.

"Hello, Merry," Estella said, smiling hopefully at him.

"Hello, my love. Would you care to go on a short walk with me?"

_This is promising, _she thought. She said nothing aloud, merely nodded, and took his arm. He adjusted the umbrella so that she would be sheltered from the rain, but before they had gone more than twenty paces, the rain stopped. Nevertheless, he continued to hold it dutifully over her head, lest the sky decided it was not quite finished with its cry.

"Merry, where are we going?" Estella asked at last.

"To the Green Dragon, lovely, where else?"

"The Green Dragon?"she was slightly disappointed with his answer, and didn't try to act any differently, but he had anticipated that.

"Estella, you will understand once you let me explain why. Unfortunately for you, I won't be explaining why until we are there." He had also anticipated her to shove him, and she did, but he was ready for it, so all she really accomplished was proving how little strength she had. Either that, or proving how unnaturally tall her lover was. It didn't matter to him though; he just kept walking along with her, beside himself with excitement. He was brilliant; there was no doubt about it. Even his Estella would not be able to deny that his plan was absolutely perfect. Once she knew what it was, that is. The only thing that could have made it any better was if the weather would go along with his mood. He had wanted it to be bright and sunny, but he wasn't going to let a little rain bother him. How could he let something as trivial as rain bother him today?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice that they had arrived at the inn until Estella said,

"Alright, you've brought me here, now, I expect to hear the reason why."

He grinned, and she shook her head, catching on to his plan. "Merry, no!"

"Come on!" He encouraged, taking her hand and practically dragging her to the kissing bench. "Just for old time's sake?"

She relented and sat down beside him, but not before she let him know that she thought it was terribly cliché for him to bring her here.

He laughed at her. "You'll think it's even worse after I remind you what today is," He told her, closing his umbrella and setting it behind the bench.

"And today is…?" She prompted

"Estella, exactly one year ago today, I kissed you for the first time, right here, don't you remember?"

She couldn't help but smile. What a romantic fool he was! "Well, I have tried to forget, but I don't suppose you are going to let me, are you?"

"Absolutely not!" He declared. "You were reading a book…some book about a city of gold and men killing each other…highly inappropriate material for a lass if you ask me, and I thought you looked so pretty that I just _had_ to kiss you."

_"Or,_ you wanted to make me angry."

He seemed to think about her reasoning for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I think I like my reason better. It makes me seem like…"

"A bigger fool than you really are?" she suggested, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Well…hm. I guess it does, doesn't it?"

She nodded her head."Yes, but you are my fool, and a handsome one too."

He was genuinely surprised at that. "Did you just give me a compliment? Did you just say I was _handsome?"_

"If you tell anyone, I will cut out your tongue," was her quick reply.

He promptly closed his mouth, which had been hanging open in shock. He was surprised again when she laughed and kissed him.

"For old time's sake," she explained, but Merry knew better. He pulled her close and kissed her again.

"I really did think you looked pretty that day," he said.

"Shut-up, you liar."

"I'm not lying."

"You are too!"

He chuckled and kissed her once more. "Estella, I'm not Fred. I'm not going to fight with you."

"Well, you're no fun."

He laughed and kissed her one more time before continuing with his purpose. "You wouldn't be terribly disappointed if I didn't ask you to marry me today, would you?"

He could see the thoughts that were running through her head clearly in her eyes. She was going to lie to him any moment now, he knew it.

"No," seemed to be the only word she was capable of. Good. He had her right where he wanted her.

"Tell me the truth, Stell."

She sighed and looked away from him. "Yes, I would be. I have been disappointed this whole week. Every day that you came with another present, I thought for sure that it was going to be the ring you promised, but it wasn't, and I really thought that you would ask today. You really are being rather cruel, Merry."

While she was talking, he slipped his hand into his pocket and brought it back out. He took her hand in his and slipped the little gold ring around her finger.

"Estella, will you marry me?" he asked at the same time.

A startled "_Oh!_" escaped her lips as she looked from him to the simple gold ring around her finger. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from her, but a slap across the face was not one of those things.

"What was that for?" He cried.

"You are just...awful!" she exclaimed, before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. "You big brute!"

He hugged her back; fairly certain that was a yes. "Give me a straight answer," he told her.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you! I can't believe you! You are absolutely the most horrid lad I have ever met in all my life! I love you."

Merry smiled and ran his hand up and down her back, all the while thinking, _If she has mood swings this badly and she's not even in a family way, I am dreading the day she decides she wants a baby. _But he would take her moodiness if it meant having her as his wife. As he completed his thought, a great roll of thunder sounded so loudly that the ground shook. Estella clung to him even tighter in her frightened state, and then, the rain began to pour. He laughed, and that seemed to comfort her, because her grip on him slowly loosened until he could push her back enough to give her a very thorough kiss. She returned his affection with every bit of passion she had in her. By the time she pulled away from him to breathe, both of them were soaking wet.

"Estella, will you marry me?" Merry asked her again.

"I already said yes…"

He silenced her with a kiss. "I know, but I like asking so much better now that I'm sure you'll say yes."

She actually giggled."Well, if that is the case, you can ask me as many times as you'd like."

"Your answer won't ever change?"

She shook her head and kissed him again.

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**Tis coming to an end! I'm excited to have it over with. but also sad. *Sigh* Two more chapters, peeps. **


	16. In Disarray

**A/N: Final Chapter coming up. This chapter isn't beta'd because my beta is super busy and I got tired of waiting. Oh well. Most of the story isn't beta'd, so I think you will al live. However, if all goes well, she'll be able to do the last chapter for me so you guys don't have to suffer through my grammatical incorrectness. **

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**Chapter Fifteen: In Disarray **

Merry wanted to scream, and it was that simple. Had he known that wedding plans caused this much stress, he would have just swept Estella into his arms and run away with her. They would have eloped, and gone on a splendid honeymoon before retuning to Buckland. Then, they could be happy right now, instead of frustrated and bored.

"And of course," His mother prattled on. "We'll have to invite my whole family as well…"

"Mother," Merry said, rubbing his temples to try and get rid of the dull ache in his head. He leaned forward over the table. "Mother, Estella and I both want as few people as possible at the wedding. You've already told us we can't have the ceremony outside, so can we at least get our way with those who are to be invited?"

Esmerelda sighed and gave her son a sympathetic look. "Meriadoc, you must understand that your wedding is not one to be overlooked. You are now the Master of Brandy Hall. The whole Shire will want to see you and Estella wed! I understand how you feel. I did not want a big wedding either, but it comes with having your position. If I could, I would let you invite only those who are closest to you, but I'm afraid that isn't an option." Merry groaned and sat back in his chair. Esmerelda stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry about it right now. I will get Violet to help me with the invitations. Why don't you go and see how your lady is faring?"

"I think I will," Merry told her, thankful for any excuse to get away from the wedding preparations. "Would you happen to know where she is?"

"In the kitchen, I think, darling."

Merry thanked his mother and the started towards the kitchen, hoping to find his bride to be. He did find her, and he had to stifle a laugh. She was sitting at the kitchen table surrounded by plates of cake, and looking rather ill. Her dress didn't look like it fit quite the way it was supposed to, her hair was a mess, and she looked exhausted. He imagined he looked much the same. He walked in and dropped a kiss on her head before sitting next to her.

"You look horrible."

"As do you," she replied. "Actually, everyone looks horrible. I think everyone is too busy to care anymore."

"So, what kind of torture are you being put through?"

"Your cousins are insisting that I try every kind of cake that exists. I'm going to vomit if I have to have another bite of something sweet."

Now here was a wedding preparation that Merry could help with! He quickly picked up a fork and a plate with a piece of cake that had one small bite taken out of it. "Which cousins?" he inquired, silently thanking them.

"The terrible Took sisters," she whispered.

"Pearl, Vinca, and Nel? They're not so bad," he told her.

Estella had never looked so serious about anything in her life, Merry was sure of that. She shook her head and gestured to the table full of plates of uneaten pieces of cake. "Merry this is serious. I really don't know if I can walk, I've eaten so much."

"A hobbit can never eat too much," he pointed out, setting down a second empty plate and picking up a third. "Where are the girls anyways?" he asked, referring to his cousins.

"I don't know. Probably off getting more food to stuff me with. Quite frankly, I don't care what kind of cake we have, as long as I don't have to make it."

Merry looked over the many different plates and varieties of cakes before picking up one that held a piece of chocolate cake. Not even bothering to taste it, he proclaimed, "This is what we're having."

"You didn't even try it," Estella pointed out, but before she even finished her sentence, two forkfuls had been put away. "Never mind…" she muttered.

"Oh yes, this is most certainly what we're having," Merry told her. "And even if I hadn't tasted it, I wouldn't have needed to. I like chocolate, and you're too full to do anymore tasting. This is at least one thing that can be taken care of easily enough."

She sighed. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

His eyebrows shot up and he grinned. "What's this? An admission of love and I didn't even have to work for it, really?"

She smiled. "Yes, really, and if you'll lean over here, I'll kiss you too."

"An, 'I love you,' and a kiss? Suddenly, this day is getting a lot better." He didn't have time to say anything else because Estella grabbed his collar, yanked him towards her and kissed him. All of the sugar from the cakes must have given her a small burst of strength, because she actually pulled her betrothed right out of his seat so that he was on his knees in front of her. He briefly wondered if this is what she felt like all the time, having to tilt her head so far back to kiss him. He would have to remember that next time he was standing and kissing her.

"Stella," he managed to mumble before she kissed him again. "You taste good."

"I ought to," she told him, feeling his hand come to the back of her neck to pull her closer. "I've been eating nothing but sugar all day."

Merry couldn't recall ever kissing her like this, and he would readily admit that he wished it happened more often. "Sugar… spice… and everything… nice," he whispered, kissing her between every word. She laughed and put a finger to his lips in a silent order for him to stop. He got up and sat back down in his chair, disappointed.

"Fred used to always say I was, 'sour, bad cream, and everything mean.'"

Merry pulled his chair closer to hers, hoping for a few more kisses before his cousins returned. "That's not even that clever."

"For Freddy it is."

"True, true."

A moment of silence passed in which the two lovers just stared at each other. Without knowing why or thinking of the consequences, Merry asked if Estella would sit in his lap. To his surprise, she did just that before turning his head towards her and capturing his lips in another deep kiss. Never before had she been so willing to give him this much affection. Normally, she was a terror when he tried to kiss her like this, calling for her brother or her father, and usually slapping him afterwards. What had changed today? Merry quickly came to the conclusion that he did not care in the least what had changed.

A startled gasp brought both Merry and Estella back to reality, and when they turned they saw a very smug looking Pippin with his arm around his very pregnant and embarrassed wife.

"Well," Pippin said. "This will be a wonderful story to tell Fredegar, don't you think, Di?" he asked.

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**A/N: One more. One more. One more. Then it's over. What am I going to do with my life now?**


	17. On the Wedding Day

**A/N: Ta Da! My longest chapter ever! And the last one! Just the epilogue and it's done! Happy day! Yay! Kinda sad though too... What am I gonna do with my life now?**

Chapter Sixteen: On the Wedding Day

It was finally here: the wedding day. At long last, Merry and Estella would join their once separate lives into one. Brandy Hall was in even more of an uproar than it had been not over a month ago during the last minute preparations. The ballroom had been transformed into a lovely gathering hall for the guests to watch the ceremony, and the servants were running around like panicked rabbits, trying to make sure everything would be ready on time. With only three hours left until the ceremony, there was still much to be done.

The lasses that were helping Estella get ready were teeming with excitement, helping each other with their last-minute hair arrangements, and straightening out dresses while they giggled and whispered about how wonderful the wedding would be.

The lads that were supposed to be helping Merry were complaining about their dress clothes and jokingly (in most cases) telling Merry he was making a mistake by tying himself down to one lass. Merry just shook his head and fixed his hair for the millionth time. It seemed to be particularly unruly today of all days.

Pippin rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well since his son had arrived. Faramir seemed to think it was his purpose in life to wake his parents at the most inopportune times. Nevertheless, Pippin knew that Merry needed him, and so he grabbed his elder cousin's shoulders to try and keep him from beginning his pacing again.

"Merry, calm down. She's not going to back out on you now. Even if there was any doubt, she'd probably marry you anyways because it would be embarrassing to stand you up now!"

Merry groaned. "I wasn't worried about her leaving me until you said that Pippin!" he complained, the nervous knot in his stomach tying itself even tighter now that his younger cousin had brought another unpleasant possibility of how the day could go into his mind.

Pippin looked guilty and apologized for his comment. He hadn't meant to make Merry so upset. What was he nervous about if it wasn't Estella backing out at the last minute? All his pre-wedding jitters had been about losing Diamond. Wasn't that what most pre-wedding jitters were about? Fear of losing the one you loved?

"It's alright, Pip. I'm just… worried that I won't make her as happy as she makes me."

"Is that all? Merry, you make her perfectly happy."

"How do you know? Have you asked her? I surely know I never did." He sat down in one of the many chairs around the mess that had been a bedroom turned dressing room for today only. Running his hands through his hair and making it look a mess once again he sighed and looked to his cousin for comfort. Pippin just smiled reassuringly and said,

"You make her happy, I can promise you that. If you didn't, she wouldn't have agreed to marry you."

"If Frodo were here, he would have made that sound much more eloquent."

Pippin smiled. "Yes, he would have."

"Do you think he knows? That I'm getting married, I mean."

Pippin shrugged. "I don't know. I'd like to think so. Perhaps Galadriel, or maybe Gandalf knows, and one of them told Frodo for you. That's what I imagined when I married Diamond."

"I think he knows," came Sam's voice from behind the two. Merry turned to look at him and was surprised. Normally when Frodo was brought up, Sam's eyes looked sad and distant. Today, though, they were bright and happy. "Rose and I are sure that he knows every time one of our little ones is born, and I'm sure he knows about this too."

Merry was silent for a while. He knew that Estella could never fully understand why he missed his cousin so much. He knew that she would never truly be able to comprehend all that happened to him while he was away from the Shire. With that thought, another panicked twist of his gut made him feel sick.

"I need to see Estella," he told Sam and Pippin.

"You're not supposed to…" Pippin started.

"I know that, but I need to see her! I need to talk to her about something!"

"It can't wait until after the wedding?" Sam wondered.

"No! It can't! I've got to ask her something and I need to know her answer to know if we can really go through with this."

After several more moments of useless arguing, Merry left, Pippin and Sam knowing not to try and detain him at this point.

Meanwhile, Estella was so nervous that she was being quite irrational.

"What if this whole time it was just a joke?" she asked Rosie in a panicky tone. "What if he doesn't really love me?"

"Estella, stop it," Rosie admonished.

"Oh, that would be just like him though."

Rosie shook her head. "No, it wouldn't. Here, let me help you with your dress. It's all bunched up just here…"

"But, _Rose_! What if when I get down the aisle, he tells me that he doesn't want me and starts laughing at me?"

Rosie was quite fed up now. Not only did she have to deal with the usual tiredness that came with being pregnant, but she had four whining little ones to deal with, and now, a bride-to-be who was a nervous wreck and not thinking clearly. "Estella, if you do not stop these ridiculous ideas at once, I'm going to hit you."

Sighing, the younger lass tried to gather her scattered, worried thoughts. She took a deep breath as her friend tugged a wrinkle out of her white and green wedding dress. "You're right. You're right, Rosie. I'm just nervous, that's all."

"It's normal to be nervous. I was so nervous that I broke down crying just a few minutes before it was time for the ceremony."

"Mrs. Gamgee?"

Rose turned to see the little lass she had left her children with. The poor girl was holding baby Merry, who was screaming as though he wanted the King of Gondor to hear him, in one arm, and the other hand was clinging to that of little Rosie so the blind girl wouldn't walk into anything and hurt herself. "Oh, Poppy, thank you for watching them. Here, let me take him."

"I think they both need naps. I couldn't get him to calm down, and she's been saying that she's sleepy."

"That's fine, dear, that's fine. If you could go back and make sure Elanor and Frodo-lad aren't getting into trouble..."

"Yes, ma'am," the tweenager said, leaving the two youngest in the care of their mother for the time being.

"Stella, I hope you don't think that I'm being dreadful to you on your special day, but Mer doesn't go down easily, and if you could watch Rosie for just a moment it would be such a help. Will you be alright?"

Estella nodded. "I think I'll be fine." After Rose left, Estella turned to the child she had adopted as her niece. Estella always imagined that it would be rather frightening to be blind, but little Rosie just stood there where Poppy had left her, curiosity written all over her face at all the sounds around her.

"Hello, Rosie," she said softly.

The little girl turned her unseeing eyes towards the voice and walked towards it with no fear that there might be something blocking her path.

"Hi, Auntie Stella," Rosie whispered, once she had been pulled up into Estella's arms.

"Why are you being so quiet, Rosie-lass?"

"Mummy says I gots to be quiet today," she explained. "Touch?" she questioned, still in a whisper. Estella knew what she meant. Rosie wanted to touch her face to feel what she looked like. She did it so often that anyone that she knew could let her touch their face without saying a word and she would know who it was, even at just over three years old.

"You're pretty, Auntie Stella," Rosie said.

"Thank you. You are very pretty too."

"Thank you."

All of a sudden, the door to the bedroom that Estella was using to get ready was thrown open and Merry burst in.

"Merry!" Estella cried.

"Uncle Merry!" Rosie shouted.

Merry had to remind himself not to stare and to breathe after a moment. _Oh my stars, she's so beautiful!_

"Merry?" she said again, sounding nervous and unsure.

"Stella, I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

All of her fears came rushing back then. Perhaps he was going to be merciful and spare her the humiliation of being rejected in front of all the guests. Perhaps he would do it now, with just little Rosie as the witness.

"Where's Rose? I'd like to talk to you alone," he told her, his eyes going to little Rosie who just smiled sweetly in his direction.

"She's over in the next room," Estella answered softly, handing the child to Merry, who seemed quite anxious to be alone with her. When he returned, she tried not to cry. Rose was right, she was being irrational, but why did he need to see her before the wedding?

"Estella," he said softly after closing the door. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm just a little jittery."

"I'm glad I wasn't the only one. Stella, love, I have a question to ask you."

"Yes?"

Merry took both of her hands in his before trying to continue. However, one look at her face and he couldn't help but kiss her. To his surprise, she melted into him immediately, and he pulled her close and felt her arms come around his neck. "Estella, I love you. I love you so much."

"Merry," she breathed, clinging to him even tighter. She sounded desperate and frightened. "Do you really love me?"

"Yes," he answered, kissing her forehead. "Do I make you happy?"

She seemed confused for a second. "Of course you do. Why would you even ask something like that?"

"I seem to irritate you more than anything," he admitted.

She smiled softly. "Yes, you do tend to annoy me, but you still make me happy. I wouldn't tolerate the teasing you give me from anybody else, you know that."

Some of the anxiousness dissipated. He did make her happy! "And… and, Stella, you know that when I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and I want to talk to Pippin and not you, you know that it's not because I don't want you to know, but because I want to protect you?"

She nodded, though somewhat reluctantly. He had told her about the nightmares that he sometimes had, reliving all the terrors that he went through. He had told her that he wanted to protect her innocence; that was the reason he would not share those nightmares with her. He would talk to Pippin, or perhaps Sam, but not her. He had told her that there was no need for her to know because it was in the past. She had gotten angry with him for that, but she was beginning to understand his reasoning.

"I… I might not always be pleasant about it," she admitted. "But I will try."

Now he was fully relieved and relaxed. He knew that he really was meant to be with Estella. However, she was not at ease, and he could see it. "What's the matter, love?"

She laughed at herself and explained how she had thought about him telling her that he had never loved her and leaving her there alone. He couldn't believe she even let her mind entertain thoughts like that and quickly decided to chase them away. He would remind her of his love for her. He told her, in a tone barely above a whisper,

"Estella, you are the smartest, most talented, most interesting, most caring, most beautiful lass I have ever met. I would pick you for my wife over any other lass I have ever met. I'm in love with you. I am so glad that you could find it in your heart to love me as well."  
She was smiling. She looked stunning. He had never seen her look so very beautiful before, and he lost any ragged grasp he had on self control then.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. He kissed her so hard and so suddenly that she almost shoved him away she was so startled. But instead, she wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck and whimpered, begging without words for him to lift her off her feet so their difference in height would not be such a problem.

Merry understood her plea and granted it without hesitation, lifting her feet off the floor and holding her tight against himself with both arms securely around her waist. He could feel her hands slide up his neck and into his hair. He regretted the fact that he would have to breathe eventually, but at last, he felt the world begin to spin around him, and he knew he had to relinquish her lips at least long enough to take another breath, so he took a breath and opened his eyes to look at her for an instant before setting her down and kissing her again. She pulled away from him and whispered,

"You are aware of how deeply I love you, aren't you?"  
His response was another kiss. He kissed her right under her ear and he could feel her heartbeat against his lips. He let his lips wander to her throat and she gasped in surprise. Her small hands laced through his curly hair once again and it only egged him on. He kissed her chin, her nose, her cheeks, her forehead... At last he came back to the corner of her mouth.

"Merry!" she shouted before he kissed her lips again. Merry understood now, why he was not to see her until the wedding. It would be so easy to get ahead of themselves, and only Eru knew how much he wanted to at that moment.

"Merry," she said, gasping for breath. "We've got to stop." he kissed her neck a few more times. "We have to stop," she repeated.

He was able to tear himself away from her at last, and he said, "I know. I know. I cannot wait until tonight." he growled into her ear, causing her to slap his chest. He just grabbed her and pulled her closer against himself. "Estella, I love you so much. I want to marry you. May I kiss you again? Please? You can pinch me when you want me to stop."

"Go ahead. Any excuse to pinch you is a welcome one."

Merry kissed her again, wishing they were already wed.

The noise of the door to Estella's temporary dressing room startled them both. Merry turned to see the surprised face of Rose Gamgee. After a moment, she grinned at them both, and was on the verge of saying something very inappropriate, Merry was sure. Estella quickly composed herself and gave her friend a pointed glare. Rose shut her mouth quickly, but sent a wink in Merry's direction.

"Now, I won't tell anyone about this if you let me make one scandalous remark."

"No! You may not, Rosie! Honestly, we didn't do anything if the sort!"

Rose gave them both a smirk. "Whatever you say. Your red cheeks are telling me a different story."

Estella's face turned an even darker shade of pink. Rose laughed and hugged Estella. "I told you not to be nervous!" She then turned to Merry with a rather stern look in her eyes. "Now you, get out of here! You're not even supposed to see her in her dress until the wedding. Bad luck, you know."

"Bad luck my foot…" Merry mumbled as Rose shoved him out of the door.

"Stella, I wouldn't have thought it of you!" Rosie's tone was similar to that of Estella's mother.

"Oh, don't give me that. He was just in here for a moment to talk some things out with me."

"For some reason, I'm inclined to believe that there was not much talking going on."

"Rose Gamgee, shut your mouth!"

Both Merry and Estella were oblivious to what Mayor Samwise Gamgee was saying, the reason being that they were whispering to each other through the whole ceremony. Sam knew this, but ignored them, trying not to laugh at some of the things that he heard them say. He had to ask Merry to say his vows twice, and the little boy who had the wedding rings forgot which pocket he had put them in, causing a lot of momentary panic for everyone, but a moment and three pockets later, both rings were secured, and exchanged. Everything else could not have gone more perfectly. Their wedding kiss was formal, but full of love all the same, and the light in their eyes showed how happy both of them were that they were finally bound as one.

Merry and Estella had pledged themselves to each other for the rest of their days, and Sam was sure that he had never seen a happier twosome. Except for him and his Rosie of course.

Everyone knew that they would bicker. Everyone knew that they would fight. But it didn't matter because everyone knew that they would always make up and have a happy life together because Merry and Estella Brandybuck loved each other more than anything.

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**A/N: That review button is in need of some serious love, if you know what I mean...**


	18. Epilogue

**A/N: Well, folks, here it is. The end. Oh my goodness, I can't believe I finally finished it! It has been fun, and all of you reviewers have been extremely kind to me! Thank you so much to demeter d, Tomoshibi-Chan, Really Cinderella, echobaby, Nim, PunkmutantGargoyleChica, LadyDoroAnne, Verity Kindle, Eruanna Undomiel (who gave me the idea for "For the Thain"), Karm Starkiller, Isabeau Jones, InkWeaverabc, Sauron Gorthaur (whose reviews were some of the most helpful) Christina Conlon, Sarahbarr17, Jen Lewis, A Cloud Floater's Daughter, LucyOfNArnia, Distant Lands, Lucy Kay, Wing Commander Arnicia Vinyaya, Jaki Fidelia, owlcity89, Kamai6, Lizzyfaye, Noelle1230, and last, but certainly not least, Heidi Erickson.**

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Epilogue

Nine months. Had they really gone for nine months without having a huge fight? If Estella was doing her math correctly, they had. That had to be a record. When they were first married, Pippin and Freddy had bet on how long it would be before they fought. They had held out for three months before Merry set her off by complaining about the way she made mashed potatoes. Most of their fights were over something silly like that.

Four years and a son and daughter later, they would still argue over silly things.

This time, it had been the Crickhollow house. Estella had asked Merry if he and Pippin ever planned on selling the old place. His response had been that they did not want to because it was a nice place to go if either family wanted to get away for a little while. Estella had told him that they hadn't been there since Ivy was born, and he replied with a question, asking her if she would like to go and stay there for a few days. Suddenly, their discussion was very loud and very defensive on both ends. It ended in Merry not being allowed in the master bedroom for two days.

It was the third afternoon since the argument, and Estella had cooled down and was ready to make up with him. Contrary to popular belief, she really did not enjoy fighting with him, especially with their children around. She wanted to set a good example for them.

Now, she sat in her favorite chair with her cat in her lap and her favorite book in her hands, relishing the time to herself. She had barely read three words when she saw her husband enter the room. It was strange, she thought, that he didn't look ill at ease or nervous.

Normally, just before they made up, he was walking on eggshells, trying not to set her off in any way. Now he looked smug and confident. Something in the back of Estella's mind told her that was not a good sign.

He smiled at her, and she allowed herself a small smile in return, letting him know she was finished arguing, but aware that he had something up his sleeve. She watched him carefully as he walked over to her and drew out a sheet of paper. Clearing his throat, he began to read:

_My dearest Merry,_

_If you were home, there would be no need for me to write this letter, but you are not, so write I must. I'd really rather you didn't travel when you don't have to. The children miss you, and so do I. _

Estella felt the blood drain from her face. She had recognized the letter from the first few words. She had written it two weeks ago when he and Pippin had gone away on a short venture to meet some dwarf friends of theirs. "No, stop, don't read anymore," she told him.

"Oh, why? You don't want me to read aloud about how '_desperately_' you miss me, and how much you want me to come home?"

"No, I don't. Give it here, Merry."

"Aw, Stella, is that any way to talk to the lad that you're 'head over heels for?' You know, the one that 'makes your heart pound' and 'whose kisses are addictive'?"

"Merry!" she exclaimed, horribly embarrassed and glad none of the servants were around to hear.

"And you call me a sentimental, romantic fool. Really, Stella!"

"I… you… You'd been gone for three days! I wanted you home with me."

"You never finished your sappy outpouring of love for me," he informed her, showing her the incomplete sentence that said she had a secret to tell him. "And I'd like to know what it is you're hiding from me."

"I'm not _hiding_ anything from you. I just have something to tell you, and I've been waiting for the right time."

He grinned and hugged her. "You're pregnant again, aren't you?"

She sighed, disappointed. "Yes. How'd you guess?"

He set her back a pace and looked at her as though it should have been obvious. "Darling, three days ago you got up in the middle of the night to get yourself some trout and strawberries. You hate trout, and we both know that."

"Why do you have to be right about everything?"

"Because I am wonderful." He kissed the top of her head, not missing her eye rolling. "Estella, I'm sorry we fought. If you really want me to talk to Pip about selling the Crickhollow place, then I will. And would you forgive me for calling you bullheaded?"

She nodded and cuddled up to him. "Yes, I forgive you. I'm sorry too; you were right. We do use it sometimes, and it is a nice little house. With three children, I'll bet we'll be tripping over our own feet to get away every now and then. And I'm sorry I said you were stupid."

"You're forgiven, darling."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"We're having a baby and we just made up. Are going to kiss me or not?"

"Of course I am."

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**A/N: Yes, the last bit was inspired by Thomphson Square's "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?" I love that song, and it sorta reminds me of my Merry and Estella whenever I hear it. Well mates, it's been fun, but now I have to get to work on a Pippin/Diamond story for you! I hope to hear from all of you in reviews for that story as well! Bye bye now, and thank you once again for sticking with me through all of this! **


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